


MCSS (Old Version)

by TheProfessionalShooshPapper



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Andrew Hussie - Freeform, F/F, F/M, Flushed Romance | Matesprits, M/M, Moirails, Pale Romance | Moirallegiance, matesprit, moirail
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-27
Updated: 2013-12-28
Packaged: 2017-10-28 07:39:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 34
Words: 27,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/305454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheProfessionalShooshPapper/pseuds/TheProfessionalShooshPapper
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's been 3 years, and seeing him right now is giving you this giddy feeling in the pit of your stomach. It's nice knowing someone actually does care about you. Especially after what happened 3 years ago. But something weird is going on between your friends, and a new mystery troll seems to be the cause.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm going to try to update this weekly.

⇒ Be Gamzee.

Summer. How you hate it. The sun. The heat. Everything. It's the worst season of the year. All the family reunions. Tourists. Drugs cost almost triple the amount as usual, because nobody has anything else to do when they aren't in school. You prefer Spring and Autumn. You can wear black without getting too hot. Which means you don't have to worry about sweating off your make-up and having your pants and t-shirt clinging to you. These humid Summer days always make Karkat grumpier. Another reason you prefer any other season. Karkat probably hated Summer more than you ever could, although you don't know why. What did he tell you his favorite season was? Oh, right. Winter. Winter is alright, but it's a little cold for your liking. It's definitely better than sitting on your couch sweating your ass off, though.

You're sitting upside down on your couch. The blood flowing to your face, making it heavy and turning your hidden face a shade of pink. The grey and white clown make-up you had put on earlier is smudged and running up your forehead along with beads of perspiration. Black, wavy hair is plastered to your face. Your t-shirt is crumpled into a ball somewhere on the other side of the room where you had thrown it about an hour ago, your polka-dot pants stick uncomfortably to your body. What was the temperature in here anyways? You glance at the wall, searching for the thermostat. It's not there. You groan, forcing yourself to move awkwardly back into a sitting position, before you stand up and walk over to the wall behind you. The thermostat's red pointer is aimed at 108 degrees. Not as bad as yesterday when it was almost 120 degrees. You try turning the temperature down, but it won't budge. It's already down as far as it'll go. Ugh. Today is going to be a long day.

You can't remember the last time you took a hit. Obviously it was less than a few hours ago, but your buzz is already fading. Thinking back, you recall running low on your miracle plants and decide it's not a good idea to take another hit. There won't be any money in your bank account until Friday, and it was only Monday. Rationing your supply until then would probably be a good idea. You could always just ask Karkat to loan you some bank, but knowing him, he'd probably just yell at you and call you a fuckass.

Being sober was the worst. It was worse than summer. Worse than being kicked in the stomach. Worse than Karkat's mood swings. Being sober turned you into a cynical asshole. Or at least it felt that way. When you were stoned, everything was a miracle, it was all happy, and nothing could bother you, not even Karkat's asinine comments. So far, your buzz has lasted for a good hour and a half. If your thought process was right, you should still have another two hours. You don't want to waste your two hours, so you decide to go do something miraculous, although you haven't decided what exactly. there were always five things that were a good thing to do in this situation. One thing would be to turn on the television and watch a salt and pepper war, then bet on who would win, salt or pepper. Pepper always wins, but you still bet on salt every time. One day, salt might just win the war, you never know. Another thing you could do is go climb a tree, and watch the world while hanging upside down from a high branch. Everything is more miraculous when it's upside down, it's like you're in another dimension, an upside down or backwards dimension at that. You could also play The Simz and make an outrageous house, with outrageous residents, with funny faces and clothing. It's always good to broaden the horizons of your imagination and creativity. Then, there's always the wash machine. You could get some chores done and entertain yourself with that. You knew it was a great idea to get a wash machine like the ones at the laundromat. Watching the clothes swirl around and around with the soap suds could entertain anyone for hours on end. The last thing you could do is bake something. That was always fun. Especially when you don't even know what you're baking until it's done. It's a good thing your baking instincts were miraculous. You always bake amazing midnight munchies. If a food critic were to rate your baked goods, they'd give you a rainbow colored 10 stars out of 5.

You are feeling kind of lazy, so you flop yourself back on the couch, situating yourself upside down. Grabbing the remote, you click on the television. The static roars as the salt and pepper specks brutally fight to the death. Ah, this shit never gets old.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm bored, so you're getting two chapters in one week. Maybe more depending on what my family decides to do today.

⇒ Be Karkat.

Jegus fuck. This summer heat is going to kill you. You had to ditch your shirt, folding it up and carrying it under your arm. Why did you even go on this walk? Walks are stupid. You don't even know where you're going, but wherever it is, it is obviously better than your place. Especially with Sollux there. That asshole can never take a hint. You didn't want him there. He was intruding on your space, your territory. Why was that prick even in your house? Oh, that's right. He was 'just visiting.' 'Just visiting' for FOUR months! That's why you were taking this walk. You needed fresh air, space away from that blind fuckass.

You were always used to being clung to. Everyone seemed to do like clinging to you. Why? You have no idea, but you feel as though it's just to piss you off. Eridan clung to you, but that was no surprise, he sticks to everyone, like gum on the bottom of your shoe. Egbert loved to hug you whenever he got the chance. Terezi had always been clingy, just like glue. But she is also like your sister, so you guess you don't mind her too much. But what is it with you and attracting blind people? First Terezi, and now Sollux. That guy was worse than Eridan, Egbert, and Terezi put together. He could never get his hands off you, and he was obviously crossing lines. Lines that weren't meant to be crossed. Lines that you had put down for reasons. Maybe you should have put up walls. White, padded ones. That way no one could cross them and get to you. It's too late now though.

Your feet suddenly stop. Where are you? There's a small house in front of you. It's grey and looks very unkempt. The lawn is literally a jungle, you couldn't walk through it if you tried. What is that smell? You've smelt it before, but where? It reminds you of something. No. Someone. It all suddenly hits you in the face with a cinder block when you hear a faint noise coming from inside the house. Static. Not radio static, or static electricity, but television static, the kind that makes your ears bleed when you switch to a nonexistent channel.

You allow yourself a small smile as you invite yourself into the house. As you open the door, that smell barrages your nose, making you choke. And then you see that lazy ass, good-for-nothing sitting upside down on his couch. You roll your eyes, pinching the bridge of your nose. Why were you even here again? This was going to be a long day.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After being in Florida all week for Christmas vacation, I'll be heading back home tomorrow (:

⇒ Be Gamzee.

"You lazy, good-for-nothing, fuckass!" your best friend yelled at you as he shut off your entertainment.

You blink at the unexpected entrance of the angry midget, then smile lazily as you realize he looks kind of adorable when he's all up and upset like that.

"Heyyyy," you drawl out as you hoist yourself off the couch and shuffle your feet over to him, "How you been, best friend? Where the motherfuck have you been?"

His expression is strange. It looks as though he's having an inner argument with himself, but he's losing. Man, you missed that face. It's been three years since you've seen him and seeing him right now is giving you this giddy feeling in the pit of your stomach. You know he's trying to edit his statements and make them at least R rated. It makes you smile an even goofier smile when you realize he cares enough to take into consideration that you hate it when he swears. He's putting in effort for you that he wouldn't for someone else. It's nice knowing someone actually does care about you. Especially after what happened three years ago.

"The hell are you smiling about, you half wit? It's creeping me out! Cut the shit!" he snarls as you take a step toward him, arms out stretched.

"Where you all up and been at, brother? I missed you, best friend."

You slowly inched closer to him, arms still open.

"I've been away. Why does it matter where I went?" he huffed, crossing his arms and looking extremely childish.

Just as you are about to hug him, Karkat swiftly ducks and takes 3 large steps backward, skillfully avoiding the contact. This confuses you. Normally, even though he says he doesn't like it, he doesn't run away from your hugs.

You frown, becoming serious. It feels strange not smiling.

"Karkat."

You look him straight in the face, as he looks anywhere but at you. Why is he acting so strangely? What happened these past three years? You don't like this. It's making your stomach clench, subconsciously prepare you for the worst.

An image flashes through your mind as you watch Karkat squirm under your gaze. You're pushing him up against the wall, forcing information out of him. Red tears threaten to fall, but he's fighting them back. He's wriggling and twisting in your grip. Both his hands are held above his head by just one of yours. You've got him overpowered in size and strength. There's no way he's getting away from you without giving you answers. Hell, forget the answers, he's just never getting away. Not again. But something's wrong. You feel a familiar itch in your fingertips. The itching of insanity, but it's not out for blood. Your knee is pressed firmly against the wall in between his legs and your free hand is pushing his chin up, so he has no choice but to look at you. This is wrong. No. Stop it. You don't want to do this. And then it's gone.

There it goes. Your high. Gone like the wind. Shattered by some freak hallucination. And it's not coming back. Thankfully, you've learned to stay under control when you're sober. That incident when you were 6 sweeps has never been repeated, and you don't plan on it. Ever.

"Shit," you grumble, running an exasperated hand over your face and keeping it there to cover half of it, "You know what, bro? I don't think right now is an all too miraculous time for you to be stopping by. You should abscond... Now..."


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've realized all my chapters are really short. :/ I guess I'll have to work on that.

⇒ Be Karkat.

What the fuck? Here you are, standing in Gamzee's living room. You literally just got here, and he's telling you to leave?

"The fuck are you talking about?"

"Leave," his voice sounds strained.

"Why? What's gotten into you all of a sudden?"

"Please."

This is awkward. You aren't sure whether to leave or stand there. But you just got here, why the fuck should you leave? As you turn your eyes up to look at him, you notice they seem glazed over. A feeling of de ja vu makes you shift uncomfortably. Shit, you guess you're leaving then.

Just before you reach the door, you hear Gamzee speak. Just barely audible, but you heard him nonetheless.

"Karbro... Just wait outside. I'll come get you when my think pan straightens it's shit..."

Alright. Admittedly, this isn't the most awkward thing that has ever happened to you. No. Definitely not. You don't even want to think about what happened with Sollux 5 weeks ago. But it ends up coming back to you anyways, the unwanted memories repainting old scars. You remember it all too well.  
It's 1 AM. What in gog's name...? It's stifling hot in your room, almost like a sauna, and someone is clinging to your waist. Sharp points. Poking you. Ouch. And look who it is. It's Sollux, clad in only his boxers, asleep, drooling and nibbling on your side. Wait...  
WHAT THE FLYING FUCK? Who let this asshole into your room? Why is he only wearing boxers? And why is this nooksucker chewing on your side? You abruptly throw him off of you, calling him several things and yelling at the top of your lungs. For a minute, he looks just as startled as you, until realization hits him and an odd look crosses his face. Sollux's face flushes yellow, his hair shrouding his eyes. Slowly, he gets up and walks over to you. Confused as to what the hell he is doing and fuming about him in your bed, you continue shouting obscene things at him, that is until he covers your mouth with his hand.  
You continue your muffled rampage, glaring daggers at the intruder in your bedroom. If looks could kill, Sollux would have been sent straight to the seventh layer of hell. His hair is still hiding his eyes, and you hate it when you can't read people. Your hands push him back a little, and grab at his so you can breathe, and that's when you see it. The look on his face. It was one of pure lust. And it actually frightened you.  
Sollux suddenly grabs your wrists in one hand and forces your arms above your head. Thankfully, you were standing in the middle of the floor, so this barely gave him any leverage.

"The hell you think you're doing!" You snarl in his face.

You can't remember, or maybe your mind just blocked off the memory, of what happened next. But you know it wasn't pleasant.

"Kar."  
His breath tickles your nose as he seemed to half moan one of his stupid nicknames for you. Inches from your face, he opened his mouth again. Panic mode. Right here. Right now. Thank gog you were flexible, because you then lifted your leg and kicked him in the stomach. Thus causing his hands to let go of your wrists as he fell backwards. Sollux's head hit the floor with a hollow thump.  
That's how you ended up here, sitting on Gamzee's front door step. Sollux won't talk to you anymore. He just gives you a blank stare. It makes every day in your apartment an awkward aftermath. A noise makes you jump.  
"Hey motherfucker. Why the long face? Come inside, bro. It's all chill now."  
You thank Gamzee by shoving your way past him.  
"We need to talk, Gamzee... Let's get this over with."


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm bored, so here's a chapter.  
> Once school starts, I don't think I'll have time to write anything for awhile... :/

⇒ Be Gamzee

They way Karkat pushes past you gives you an uneasy notion. There's an odd, tight feeling in your gut. This isn't going to be enjoyable. You know he's going to talk about what happened three years ago. Everyone does. And all you want to do is forget. Why can't they just leave you alone and let you forget? It's not like it's their business anyway. But you need to suck it up. You need to know where he's been, and he can't NOT tell you. No one can just drop off the face of the earth for three years without letting their moirail know where they absconded off to.  
You hide all of these thoughts behind a lazy smile, just like always. It actually amazes you that Karkat can't see through your fake smiles all the time. After all these sweeps of being his moirail, you'd think just once he'd be able to tell. But then again, maybe he doesn't care enough to try and see through it. Whatever, this is just confusing you. Karkat is like those quarter machines outside the grocery stores. You put your hopes in, only to get something random and unexpected out, with the occasional "this is exactly what I wanted."  
You slouch forward on the couch, resting your head in your left palm. Your elbow stationed on your knee. Karkat is sitting across from you on a kitchen chair that he loudly dragged from the kitchen. He is sitting backwards in the chair, his legs dangling on either side of the back rest, while his head is resting in his crossed arms that are draped across the top of it. It's an odd thing he does when he is feeling uneasy. He glances at you with an uncomfortable look on his face, almost like he's guilty. You almost chuckle at the thought. Karkat? Guilty? Now that's got to be a miracle.  
You don't know where to begin, so you figured it'd be best to just let him start. He probably has more to say than you do anyways. But all this waiting is making you antsy. Steadily, your leg twitches up and down, a habit from when you were a kid that you never seemed to grow out of.  
"Gamzee."  
You don't move. He knows you heard him.  
"I don't know where to begin..."  
With a glance up, your smile slips a fraction.  
"Why don't you all up and start at the beginning, motherfucker? Fill my auditory holes with the answers to the motherfcukin' universe. The answers to where you've been, and motherfcukin' why. And maybe sprinkle it with a little explanation all up on why you couldn't tell your best motherfuckin' friend."  
Your voice was serious, the smile all but gone from your face. But there is no force in your voice. It's gentle, quiet, and he most likely couldn't tell, but there was a hint of pain.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is this weeks chapter. (:  
> I was thinking about things thi week like TribalStuck and RunAwayStuck. So I started thinking about weddings and an idea hit me.  
> WeddingStuck. What would happen if the trolls got introduced to the idea of weddings?  
> You can find part of this idea on my deviantART http://mecuschibi-chan.deviantart.com/art/WeddingStuck-278060902?q=gallery%3Amecuschibi-chan&qo=0

⇒ Be Sollux.

Again, this morning Karkat wouldn't even look in your direction. You don't exactly remember what happened, but you do know it wasn't a normal thing between friends. He must still be fuming. It's been what, a month? You kind of feel guilty, but then again, you don't. Karkat shouldn't be such a gog damn wriggler. It really wasn't that terrifying of a thing, right? You think hard, trying to remember more details.  
You had already been living with Karkat for a short while. And you remember being at your desk being pestered by Tavros about advice for something. He had been worried about something in one of his dreams, it had seemed silly to you and you brushed him off, telling him it was just a horrorterror and to stop being a wriggler. Whatever it was, it obviously wasn't important. Just as you were about to end the conversation with him, someone started trolling you. For the life of you, you cannot remember who the hell it was. But it was definitely not one of your usual friends. Vaguely, you remember the troll telling you to do something, and after refusing several times, he or she seemed to give up, logging out.  
At this point, you were starving. Like everything in your stomach just vanished. Running to the fridge, you grabbed several things that looked satisfying and hastily gathered them on the counter. You ended up making 3 grubbutter and slime sandwiches. No, not sopor slime. Humans liked to call it jelly. You stacked them on a plate and brought them back to your computer. You had some serious coding you needed to get going on. Huh, that's odd. You don't remember shutting down your laptop. And what is that weird smell? Ow... you kind of have a headache... Oh shit... Oh Shit. OhShitOhShitOhShit! You knew that smell, and why your computer screen was black. Someone sent you a virus, and a nasty one at that. Your computer was currently spewing carbon-monoxide into your room at a dangerously fast pace and then it was going to explode. You've read enough about this virus that you know exactly how to handle it. Sitting down, you attempt to disarm the virus before your laptop blows up. Thank god you're a whizz at this stuff, otherwise you'd be majorly screwed and possibly passed out on the floor by now.  
It only takes about 30 seconds for you to stop the virus, which allows you time to run to the nearest window and open it to let the carbon-monoxide to escape. Whatever asshole that attempted to kill you just now was really sneaky, but sneaky enough. Nothing could beat your nose. Once again, you plop down in your computer chair and open Trollian. There's an offline message waiting for you. Taking a generous bite of your GB and S sandwich, you skim over the message.  
\- ? began pestering twinArmageddons -  
?: fuck u Cabtr  
?: ill finq u u fuckn pastarq  
?: ill fuckn finq u  
?: ill kill all ur stubiq frienqs if i have to  
?: im gonna slaughtr u  
\- ? ceased pestering twinArmageddons -  
Well... Someone woke up on the wrong side of the recuperacoon. And this was the same troll as before. The one that wanted you to do something. Why is it that you can remember that exact message, but not the name? Whatever, it'll come to you eventually.  
But this is how you ended up here in this situation. You remember going to sleep that night. And then at some point in the middle of the night, you were sitting on the floor, everything blurry, and could hear Karkat screaming, probably at you. The next thing you know, Karkat kicks you in the stomach and you slam your head against the floor. You don't remember going into your room to lay down in your recuperacoon, but that's where you woke up.  
You tried talking to Karkat, but he ignored you every time. But he shunned you. Eventually after about the fourth day, you gave up. At least he hasn't kicked you out yet. Something has to be done. Before he kicks you out. Before he never talks to you again. And before you lose one of your best friends. You know he's going to resist, but you are going to talk to him, one way or another.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just love Midterms and the end of the semester.  
> I also love pulling all-nighters to write play scripts and draw costume designs for Creative Writing, complete near impossible Economics projects, and study all of my Chemistry material.  
> So, I haven't had time to write anything. At. All. :/  
> Luckily I have 2 more chapters already written, so you guys are safe for 2 weeks.  
> I feel like I made Eridan too much of a damsel in this chapter... Idk. What do you guys think?

⇒ Be Eridan.  
How did you even get here? One moment you were walking down the hallway, the next you were face planted to the floor, butt in the air, cape lying sadly over your head. Quickly, you recover, jumping up and dusting yourself off. Hopefully nobody saw that, you look around just to make sure. So far, the coast is clear. But, oh... You spoke too soon. You feel yourself pouting, eyes watering with embarrassment as your cheeks burn. Just your luck, Sollux would be standing in your doorway to witness everything. He's leaning against the frame smirking at you. You can tell he's trying his best not to laugh at you. Your lip quivers and you can't help but try and justify what happened.  
"Don't laugh at me. It's not my fault the rug on the floor was bunched up. It's not like I stare at the floor while I walk. How was I supposed to know?"  
You aren't helping your case. Sollux's smile just grows with every word. Crossing your arms, you give up.  
"What do you want? You didn't even ring the bell."  
"I did ring it. You jutht didn't hear it. Tho I invited mythelf in," he says flatly, walking up to you.  
"O-oh.."  
You look down at the floor uncomfortably. Why are you such a fuck up? You've gotten over your whole phase of needing to be loved by everyone and being a wanton whore, but you still manage to be an annoyance to everyone. Well, except Sollux. He was the only one who cared to pay you any attention. That's probably because you were the only one who was there for him when he need you a few years ago. When Karkat left... He didn't know what to do with himself. You remember that night when he had found out. He had come to you, crying. It was so out of character for him, it shocked you out of all of your self pity. Man, if you ever get your hands on Karkat... You knew the pain of your best friend leaving you and you never want Sollux to go through anything like that again. Never again. You can feel the tears start to overflow, but you blink them back furiously as your pout grows and your brow furrows in your frustration.  
"Hey... Are you ok? That looked like it hurt..."  
"Uh, yeah I'm fine," your voice sounds strange. It's probably the lump in your throat.  
Sollux sighs, placing a hand on your shoulder and patting it a few times. Before giving you a quick, friendly hug.  
"You're hopeleth... Come on. I wanna talk for a minute. Thomethingth up."


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finished midterms on Friday.  
> It was so stressful. I left my Economics book at my moms house, so I forgot I needed it since I'm at my dad's until tomorrow.  
> The teacher started collecting the books and the people who didn't have them got kicked out and sent to Study Hall. But for some reason, she allowed me to call my dad and ask him if he'd seen the book, she allowed me to take the midterm, and gave me until Monday to hand in the book.  
> My Creative Writing class is over and I now have Short Fiction. I almost cried walking out of that class, my teacher looked me straight in the eyes as I handed him my midterm, and he gave me the biggest smile and said "Keep writing." I'm gong to miss him and the class so much.
> 
> (This chapter is a filler because I was rushing to get a chapter done... Plus I couldn't get internet things stuck out of my head because of my crazy boyfriend.)

⇒ Be Dave.  
Woah, wait. You aren't even in this story. Somebody fucked this up worse than the BP Oil Company in the Gulf. Shits' wasteful and hazardous. You think the author should stop fucking around and get to the point already instead of wasting everyone's time with pointless chapters.  
What the shit? Where'd that come from? You pick up the envelope that seemed to just magically appear on your desk.

 _Dave~_

 _Nope. Chuck Testa._

 _That's not funny, Dave. That's how my family died._

 _Yo Dawg. I heard you like reading pointless chapters so I put a pointless letter in your story so you can read a pointless letter while reading a pointless chapter._

 _Lastly, Dave..._

 _Why can't you hold all those times?_

 _~The Author_


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright. This is the last chapter I have finished. I was up late last night working on the next one. Hopefully I won't get bogged down with homework and I'll be able to type up two or three.

⇒ Be Karkat  
You're not ready for this, but you're as ready as you're ever going to be, so you may as well just start. Taking a deep breath, you glance up at Gamzee. You've never understood how he could have so much patience, but he's definitely one of the most patient trolls you've ever met.

"Gamzee… There were…"

You tangle your hands into your hair and look down at the floor.

"I'm not sure how to word this…"

Glancing at Gamzee again, you realize he's just staring at you with that lazy smile on his face. He's waiting. For a split second, you wonder if he's even paying attention. But that's a stupid thought. You know he is. Even if he never seems like it and he screws off all the time like the lazy dumbshit he is, he always gives you his full attention.

You chew your lip, thinking about how to word your next sentence. You don't want him to get the wrong idea.

"I left… because… there were hunters after me. They," you clear your throat, "they knew my blood color, Gamzee."

His brow furrows as he turns over the idea in his head. You can almost see the rusty wheels in his head turning.

"So… you absconded without telling a motherfucker? Shit, Karkat, you could've at least gotten a bro in the know. We all coulda helped you. I know you say I'm shitty moirail, but honestly, am I really that terrible that you can't rely on me? Wait… Are they still…? And who…?"

You could tell he couldn't bring himself to finish those last two questions. It took you a while to respond. He hadn't left the traces of hurt out of his words, and it was thrown right in your face, making your abdomen feel as though you had just mixed spoor slime with Faygo and eaten it.

"I don't know who," you ignore his first question, "and they just seemed to disappear. I figured it'd be ok to come back when they didn't show up for about two months. I didn't want anyone to get hurt on my account. I didn't want any of you involved. I'm the leader. I can take care of myself."

Gamzee let out a long sigh, running a hand through his mane of shaggy hair. There was a long silence. Neither of you knew how to continue the conversation.

You watched as Gamzee got up off the couch and stretched out his arm. He bopped you lightly on the top of your head with his fist as you shrunk back a little.

"You really are a handful, Karkles." he smirked.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finished this chapter sort of quickly. Sorry for the sucky cliff hanger.

**⇒ Be Eridan.**  
You followed Sollux into your kitchen. He always made himself at home. Why didn’t he just live here? Why did he have to live with that prick, Vantas? All Karkat ever did was complain Sollux was just a bum, mooching off of him. When in reality, Sollux did his fair share. He made a living off of fixing computers. And that’s not a cheap job, you get lots of cash from that sort of thing. The only reason anyone else kicked him out was because of his mood swings. Nobody wanted to deal with it.  
Opening the pantry, you ask Sollux if he wants anything specific. He always eats when he’s at your house, not like you mind. It’s nice sharing a meal, or even a snack, with someone once in awhile. Your house is big enough to have at least 4 people living in it comfortably. So for one person, it gets lonely.  
“I’ve had a weird craving for macaroni and cheethe...” he says thoughtfully, leaning back in his chair, using his psionic abilities to keep the chair from falling backwards.  
You nab the box of Kraft off the shelf. You really don’t mind cooking at all, but you only cook when Sollux is over. There isn’t much of a reason to cook for just one person. Mac and cheese doesn’t take too long to cook, but you like cooking it slow and adding things to it. It tastes better than just the plain boxed stuff. You set up the pot on the stove with about two cups of water and take the cheese packet out of the box. There’s some Velveeta cheese somewhere in the fridge along with a block of cheddar. Sollux is quiet, as usual, as he watches you collect things and place them on the counter. Next is the garlic powder, onion powder, milk, and butter.  
“So,” you begin as you mix everything besides the cooking macaroni in a small bowl, “What’s up, Sol?”  
He’s quiet still. You figure he’s still in that trance he gets into while he watches you cook. It’s kind of odd, but you don’t think much of it. After draining the macaroni, you put it back in the pot and stir in your special cheese mixture. Grabbing two bowls, you split up the food so that Sollux gets a little more than you do.  
“Here. Catch,” you warn before you throw a fork over your shoulder in his direction.  
You turn around with the bowls to see that Sollux has the fork stuck in mid-air. He’s just staring at it, and he stays like that for a moment, before he slowly lowers it to the table. It’s probably part of his trance. You slide his bowl in front of him, sit in your chair across from him, and take a bite of your own dish. Mmmmm. So good. Just like always.  
“You’re an amazing cook,” Sollux compliments you with a smile on his face.  
“It’s not that good,” you can’t help but be modest.  
“No. It really ith. I’d give you twelve thtarth out of five.”  
“How does that even work?”  
“It jutht doeth,” he grins at you.  
“Alright,” you smile shyly, “Um… back to the topic at hand. Why’d you come visit so suddenly?”  
He pauses a moment and just stares at you. You can’t read him very well because of his glasses, but you can tell he’s contemplating what to say.  
“It’th... Karkat... He won’t talk to me. I’m not thure what happened. All I can remember ith waking up in hith room on the floor one night with thith mathive fucking headache.”  
Sollux proceeded to tell you about the happenings of the past few weeks.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been sitting here writing this all day.  
> The song Gamzee is singing to Karkat is called We're Going to be Friends by The White Stripes.  
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qek94E3hj4k&feature=related  
> ^I imagine Gamzee sounding similar to this while he is singing this particular song.

⇒ Be Gamzee.  
“You can always stay with me, bro. It gets kinda motherfuckin’ lonely around here sometimes. I totally don’t mind the company,” you offer, an inviting smile on your face.  
Karkat just looks at you, seeming perplexed.  
You head into the kitchen. Man, you are so motherfucking hungry. When was the last time you ate? Popping open the fridge, you realize you’re running low on food supplies. Shit. Shopping is such a bummer. you never have much money to buy groceries with, and it’s hard not to buy all that food. Especially when it’s calling to you, asking for you to give it a home. How can you refuse? Poor motherfuckers need a home, don’t they?  
There isn’t much in the fridge, so you start opening up cabinets. After searching through the fourth or fifth cabinet, you aren’t sure because you lost count, you find what you are looking for. Recently, you’ve been addicted to these little cheesy confections. Nobody seems to know what they are, or where they came from, but it’s not like you care. The green box stands out in your nearly empty cabinet. You quickly snatch it up, sticking your hand in and stuffing a handful in your mouth.  
“What the hell are those?” You hear Karkat grumble.  
Turning around, you see him sitting backwards on the couch, leaning over the back of it and watching you. He looks so cute, you can’t help but smile at him as you lift up the box so he can see it.  
“What the fuck are Cheesy Poofs?” he complains, crossing his arms.  
You look over the box, still munching happily.  
“They‘re these little fluffy pieces of crunchy clouds covered in motherfuckin’ miracle cheese. You want one?” you offer after you swallow.  
It’s a surprise to you when he nods and his frown lifts. Now that you think about it, you don’t ever remember seeing him smile very much. Yeah, you have seen him smile, but it’s extremely rare. The chances of seeing Karkat smiling are slimmer than finding the end of a rainbow. It’s just as rare that the frown ever leaves his face. Blushing a little at how adorable he is without the angry creases mauling his forehead, you walk over to him and hand him the box of Cheesy Poofs.  
“Here ya go, bro.”  
As he closes his hand around the box, you smile at him again. But Karkat is oblivious to it as he fixates his attention on the food. You stretch, cracking your fingers above your head, before you plop yourself on the couch next to him.  
“I’ve got something for you, best friend. I’ve been saving it for a long time. It might make you feel better about things. Ya know? Help you chill a little.”  
He just watches you curiously, his mouth full. Your smile widens as you take note that he likes Cheesy Poofs.  
“Wait here,” you tell him as you get off the couch and go into your bedroom.  
Inside your bedroom, there are two large closets and a master bath. You stride into the first closet, wading through a bunch of amps and musical instruments until you reach the back. Sitting in it’s case is your acoustic guitar. It was your very first instrument and you have always kept it in perfect condition. You carefully take it out and sling the strap over your shoulder. As you head back into the living room, you are careful not to bump into anything.  
Karkat’s eyes widen a little as he sees you reenter the living room with your guitar. He watches silently as you sit on the couch and start playing.

“Fall is here, hear the yell. Back to school, ring the bell. Brand new shoes, walking blues. Climb the fence, books and pens. I can tell that we are gonna be friends. I can tell that we are gonna be friends.

Walk with me, Suzy Lee. Through the park and by the tree. We will rest upon the ground, And look at all the bugs we found. Then safely walk to school without a sound. Safely walk to school without a sound.

Well here we are, no one else. We walked to school all by ourselves. There's dirt on our uniforms, From chasing all the ants and worms. We clean up and now its time to learn. We clean up and now it’s time to learn.

Numbers, letters, learn to spell. Nouns, and books, and show and tell. At playtime we will throw the ball. Back to class, through the hall. Teacher marks our height against the wall. Teacher marks our height against the wall.

And we don't notice any time pass. We don't notice anything. We sit side by side in every class. Teacher thinks that I sound funny. But she likes the way you sing.

Tonight I'll dream while I'm in bed. When silly thoughts go through my head, About the bugs and alphabet, And when I wake tomorrow I'll bet, That you and I will walk together again. Cause I can tell that we are gonna be friends. Yes, I can tell that we are gonna be friends.”

You look up at him and can’t help but chuckle. His mouth is slightly open in awe and he is blushing slightly, staring directly at you. Karkat jumps at the sound of your laughter.  
“Was I that good?” you grin.  
“Did you write that yourself?” Karkat asks disbelievingly.  
“Yeah, bro. Just for you,” you say, your smile fading as you remember why you wrote it.  
“What?”  
“I said I wrote it for you.”  
Karkat huffs, “No. I meant, What’s wrong? You just suddenly stopped smiling.”  
“Oh, it’s nothing,” you fake a smile.  
He gives you a look that tells you he thinks what you said was bullshit.  
You sigh, putting the guitar on the floor and turning to face Karkat with a serious expression.  
“Dude. You when you left... I didn’t motherfuckin’ know what to think. There was so many times where I just...”  
You couldn’t look him in the face any longer, so you settled on staring at your lap and twiddling your thumbs.  
“I thought you were dead, bro. I thought I was never going to see my best bro again. It was literally driving me insane. I was motherfuckin’ worrying about you all day, every day. After awhile, I just kinda accepted you were gone. I’m actually motherufckin’ surprised I didn’t tackle you earlier when you showed up. I guess it just seemed like a normal day today, with you scolding me for being my usual stupid self and whatever. The only normal day in three years,” you trail off.  
Karkat waits expectantly for a minute.  
“And?”  
You clear your throat, throwing a quick glance at him. There’s this weird feeling you have in the pit of your stomach. Opening up to people isn’t exactly your specialty and it’s rather uncomfortable.   
“Because I was all wrapped up in the fact you were gone, I didn’t know what to do with my motherfuckin’ feelings. So I just went and sang ‘em. And that song was one of the many results. The day I wrote it, I was all up and reminiscing about when we first met, bro... And I motherfuckin’ promised myself that if I ever saw you again, I’d share the miracle with you.”


	12. Extra: Valentine's Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I missed the bus this morning, so I stayed home and wrote this literally all day. Happy Valentine's Day <3  
> This is just an extra because I wanted to write something Valentine themed. I will add a link to the song cover that I think Karkat would sound like at a later point because it is 1 AM.

**⇒ Be Karkat.**

You knew you had to do something for Gamzee. He’s gone through so much trouble because of you. Valentine’s Day was coming up soon and Gamzee never misses out on any holiday celebrations. Valentine’s Day was no exception. No matter how much you whined, complained, bitched, moaned, and groaned, he would still drag you along to go celebrate every time.  
It was decided. You would do something for Gamzee that would blow his mind. But what exactly? A normal Valentine would be boring. You are not very well nourished in the money department, so spending money on flowers or chocolates is out. There would be no home-made sentimental shit. You are the worst artist on the face of the planet. So what else could there be?  
Snatching your laptop, you open up your internet browser. You quickly type _‘What to give your friend for Valentine’s Day’_ into the search engine. After searching the first five websites, you realize you aren’t going to get very far. Going back to the search engine, you type in _‘uncommon Valentine ideas for friends’_ , and press Enter. Again, you don’t get very far. This is beginning to piss you off. Why aren’t you getting the results you are looking for? You pause for a second. Maybe... if you changed one word... Blushing furiously, you try searching again. This time you type in _‘the perfect Valentine for your lover’_. The first link looks promising, so you click. It’s titled: **The Perfect Gift For Your Lover On Valentine’s Day**. It sends you to a website called _‘serenademe.alternia’_. You get yourself comfortable in your chair and begin reading the article.

 _Having trouble finding the perfect gift for your Valentine? Fear not! We have just the solution. Chances are, you are lacking in the size of your wallet. But this idea is practically priceless and will leave your lover speechless.  
Please, take a moment to take this survey. It will help us understand more about you personally and help you come up with the best solution to your dilemma._  
 **Click Here To Continue**  
Curious, you click the link and you are redirected to a survey. The questions seem a little weird, but you ignore it and fill them in.

_Thank you for using Serenade Me. Please answer the following questions as honestly as possible. Once finished, we will be able to give you a step by step guide to successfully woo your significant other._

1\. How old are you?  
7 sweeps

2\. What is your name?  
Karkat Vantas

3\. How old is your partner?  
7.5 sweeps

4\. What is your lover’s name?  
Gamzee Makara

5\. Choose one word to describe yourself.  
Leaderly

6\. Choose one word to describe your partner.  
Stupid

7\. Roughly, how much time have you spent with your lover over the past three years?  
A few hours

8\. What is your best strength?  
My leadership

9\. What is your worst weakness?  
I’m afraid of losing the ones close to me.

10\. What is you partner’s best strength?  
He is a great singer/guitarist.

11\. What is your partner’s worst weakness?  
He is the worst Moirail ever.

12\. Looking back on your relationship with your lover, do you believe it is a generally happy one?  
No. It’s fucking miserable.

13\. What are your hobbies (choose 5)?  
Leading. Being alone. Being superior to that asshole, Dave. Hacking. Trolling.

14\. What are your significant other’s hobbies (choose 5)?  
Eating Sopor Slime. Smoking weed. Being a fuckass. Singing. Playing Guitar.

15\. What is your zodiac sign?  
Cancer

16\. What is your lover’s zodiac sign?  
Capricorn  
17\. How long have you known your partner?  
Forever

18\. What do you like best about your partner?  
Nothing

19\. What do you like least?  
Everything

20\. What is your blood color?  
I don’t see why this is relevant.

21\. What is your lover’s blood color?  
Indigo

22\. Who is taller, you or your partner?  
Gamzee

23\. Describe your horns.  
This is not relevant either.

24\. Describe your lover’s horns.  
Tall. Slightly spiraled upwards and back. Pointy.

25\. How did your relationship begin with your partner?  
We have been and always will be Moirails.

26\. What is your body type?  
I’m sure you would love to know.

27\. What is your lover’s body type?  
Tall. Lanky. Slightly muscular.

_Thank you for your cooperation! You are almost done. Please answer these Yes or No questions._

28\. Do you live together?  
Yes

29\. Do you or your lover smoke?  
Yes

30\. Do you or your lover drink?  
No

31\. Do you or your lover do drugs?  
Yes

32\. If yes, would say these practices are done more often than once a month?  
Yes

33\. Do you and your lover share a circle of friends?  
Yes

34\. Would you say that you and your partner fight more often than three times a week?  
Yes

35\. Have you and your lover had sexual relations?  
NO

36\. Would you say that you and your lover have sexual relations more often than twice a week?  
NO

_Thank you for participating. Please wait a moment while we process your answers._

You sigh, inwardly. Some of those questions were embarrassing. But this is going to help you with Gamzee. You computer makes a beeping noise. Examining the screen, you grumble, begrudgingly following the instructions.

_Whoops! Looks like you have some invalid answers. Please answer the following questions honestly._

**It is not nice to call someone stupid. Be nice.**  
*6. Choose one word to describe your partner.  
Silly

 **“Being a fuckass.” is not a valid hobby. Please choose a different one.**  
*14. What are your significant other’s hobbies (choose 5)?  
Eating Sopor Slime. Smoking Weed. Singing. Playing Guitar. Sleeping.

 **There has to be something you like about your partner. Please choose another asnwer.**  
*18. What do you like best about your partner?  
He is my best friend.

 **Please choose one thing you dislike about your partner.**  
*19. What do you like least?  
He is annoying as fuck.

 **It is relevant, Please answer honestly.**  
*20. What is your blood color?  
Red

 **It is relevant, Please answer honestly.**  
*23. Describe your horns.  
Short. Stubby. Rounded.

 **We would. That is why we asked. Please choose a different answer.**  
*26. What is your body type?  
Short. Skinny.

 **There is no need to shout. Please answer calmly.**  
*35. Have you and your lover had sexual relations?  
No

 **There is no need to shout. Please answer calmly.**  
*36. Would you say that you and your lover have sexual relations more often than twice a week?  
No

_Thank you for participating. Please wait a moment while we process your answers._

You let out an exasperated sigh, annoyed. Invalid answers your ass. Once again, your computer beeps. This time, it has redirected you to a new page with step by step instructions.

**A Step by Step guide to Serenading Your Lover**

1.) Find the perfect song.  
 _(We have taken the liberty of choosing the right song for you, Mr. Vantas. You can find it here.)_  
2.) Pick a musical instrument.  
 _(We have also taken the liberty of choosing your instrument, Mr. Vantas. Because Gamzee’s hobby is “Playing Guitar.”, we assume he has a guitar. You can ask to borrow his guitar.)_  
3.) Practice the song. You may want the help of a friend with musical talent.  
4.) On Valentine’s Day, take your lover to a special place and show them what you have been working on. Tell them it is just for them, and watch their face light up with joy.

_(Thank you for using Serenade Me, Mr. Vantas. We look forward to seeing you again. If you have any further questions, send an email to serenademe@alternia.mail )_

Ok... This isn’t quite what you expected. You’ve never sang before, not to mention played an instrument. Reluctantly, you click on the link and listen to the song. It takes a minute to sink in, but this really is the perfect song, even if you’d never admit it to anyone. You knew damn well, Gamzee was more than just your Moirail. It’s like a silent agreement between the both of you. And you’ll be damned if you let him down. You have to at least try. But... You need to consult with someone who has some sort of musical talent other than Gamzee...  
You angrily punch the computer desk. Fuck. He is the last person you want to ask for help, but it seems like you have no choice. Logging into Trollian you check to see if that asshole is online. Luckily, or maybe unluckily, you can’t tell, he is online.

 

\-- carcinoGeneticist [CG] began trolling turntechGodhead [TG] at 3:28PM --  
CG: HEY ASSHOLE  
CG: I NEED YOUR ASSISTANCE  
TG: look what the cat dragged in  
TG: or was it the car  
TG: i cant tell. did the cat drag you in? or did the car do it? im leaning towards the car.  
CG: FUCK YOU, YOU INSUFFERABLE PRICK  
TG: im a little busy. cant that wait for later karkles?  
CG: GOG DAMMIT DAVE  
CG: I AM ASKING YOU FOR ASSISTANCE  
CG: JUST GIVE ME A YES OR NO. I DO NOT NEED YOUR GAY SASS.  
TG: dont go all hissing down my tree. its not my fault you climbed up there and got yourself stuck. maybe you should stop getting chased by all those cars.  
CG: DAVE. I AM GOING TO COUNT TO TEN  
TG: oh fuck. not that. anything but that. i cant handle the power of the number ten  
CG: THATS RIGHT. YOU CANNOT. NOW CUT THE SASSY SHIT AND GIVE ME AN ANSWER BEFORE YOU ARE CRIPPLED UNDER THE POWER OF THE NUMBER TEN  
TG: alright dude. dont go using numbers when you dont have to. its dangerous shit,man.  
TG: what am I assisting you with?  
CG: YOU ARE TALENTED IN THE MUSICAL AREA, CORRECT?  
TG: talented isnt even the word for it. try master eargasm. i dish out earsgams everywhere there is sound to be heard with my wicked rhymes and the sick fires i set  
CG: I NEED YOUR HELP WITH LEARNING HOW TO PLAY A GUITAR  
TG: guitar? you?  
CG: YES.  
CG: STRIDER  
CG: WHAT THE FUCK IS TAKING YOU SO LONG  
TG: oh my god. im sorry. i couldnt type because i was on the floor.  
CG: WELL WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU DOING ON THE FLOOR?  
TG: i was crying  
CG: DAVE. SAVE YOUR EMOTIONAL BREAK DOWNS FOR WHEN I AM NOT ASKING FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE.  
TG: sorry man. i couldnt help it. it was just so sudden. im just so emotional over here. crying tears of joy for you.  
CG: I DO NOT NEED YOUR FUCKING TEARS. WILL YOU HELP OR NOT?  
TG: okay man. chill. sure. ill help. but under one condition.  
TG: you will pay me in apple juice  
CG: APPLE JUICE? OF ALL THINGS, YOU WANT APPLE JUICE?  
TG: what? would you rather it be sloppy makeouts?  
CG: NO. DAVE. IM JUST SAYING YOU ARE FUCKING WEIRD. I WILL GET YOUR YOUR APPLE JUICE.  
TG: sweet. its a deal  
CG: NOW TEACH ME TO PLAY GUITAR. I ONLY NEED TO LEARN ONE SONG.  
TG: k  
TG: be here in 15  
TG: and bring your own guitar.  
TG: and the apple juice.  
\-- turntechGodhead [TG] gave up trolling carcinoGeneticist [CG] at 4:09PM --

 

You shut down your computer and grumpily make your way over to Gamzee’s bedroom. You knock on the door but there’s no asnwer. That dumbass is probably sleeping. You open the door to find Gamzee sitting cross-legged in the middle of his bed. His back is to you. You step into the room, closing the door and walking forward a little.  
“Hey. What the fuck are you doing?” you grumble.  
Gamzee jumps a little and turns to face you. He doesn’t say anything. He just stares at you, expressoinless, as you freeze in place. What creeps you out the most is that his eyes were slightly pinkish orange. Normally, it wouldn’t phase you, but this pink was different. It wasn’t the pink color your eyes get when you’re high.  
“I, uh...” you clear your throat, trying to keep your voice steady, “I’ll leave you alone for now.”  
You take a step back, not taking your eyes off his. Your hand feels the metal doorknob. Grasping it firmly, you slowly start to twist it, but stop when Gamzee murmurs something.  
“What?”  
“I said... Stop.”  
And you do. Gamzee gets off the bed, his eyes searching yours, but you aren’t sure what he’s looking for. His eye’s aren’t turning red, but they aren’t turning yellow either. They are still in that odd pink-orange. You try to look away, but it’s like he’s somehow got your eyes glued to his.  
“Um...” you break the silence, “I was uh, just checking on you. It was quiet, so...”  
Gamzee takes a slow step forward. you can feel your heart beating against your chest. Being in the same room as even a slightly sober Gamzee is highly dangerous. He is obviously way stronger than you, and he is totally unpredictable. If you don’t play your cards right, there’s no telling what will happen.  
You press your back up against the door. Gamzee is finally standing inches in front of you. You flinch slightly as he moves his arm and places it above your head, leaning against it. He stoops down to your level slightly, his other hand gently lifting up your chin. Your heart is beating rapidly against your chest. He’s got you cornered and your afraid of what he might do next.  
“G-Gamzee,” you whisper.  
The juggalo smiles at you sweetly. You can’t tell if it’s his soberness talking, or his real self, but you can see the love in his eyes. At any other given time, you’d punch him and tell him to fuck off. Then he would pout at you with puppy dog eyes and you would respond by flipping him off, which would make him smile. But not this time. You sigh inwardly, slowly reaching up to wrap your arms around his neck. There’s only one way out of this. Leaning forward on your tiptoes, you kiss him gently. You can feel him smiling against your mouth. Ugh. Why does he have to do that? It always tickles a little and, in turn, makes you smirk. You close your eyes and try to relax into the kiss. His lips are soft and warm and you can smell something sweet on his breath. It’s almost like candy. But it’s more of a sickly sweet smell like soda. And suddenly, you were tasting it. Grape soda.  
Gamzee’s hand was now on your cheek, rubbing it softly with his thumb. You were glad he wasn’t being aggressive. The last time you did this, he was so rough, he gave you a fat lip and littered bruises almost everywhere on your body. It was moments like these when Gamzee was being gentle that you loved. It’s like they came right out of one of your romcoms.  
He pulls back just enough for you to see his face clearly. His eyes are back to their natural yellow. You tangle your hands into Gamzee’s black mane of hair as he removes his arm from above your head and slides it smoothly underneath you, lifting you up against the door. Gamzee plants a few kisses on your neck as you wrap your legs around him so you won’t fall. Blushing, you tug at his hair, signaling for him to stop. Gamzee pouts at you as you look at him sternly. You’re fine with making out with him, but you don’t want to do anything drastic. It’s not like you are officially an item  
Sighing, you kiss him on the lips again, opening your mouth. He is quick to oblige, running his tongue along your top row of teeth. You can taste the grape soda again, and you realize it must be Gamzee’s blood. Pushing your tongue against his, you break away so you can see his face. He looks at you, confusion clear on his face. Smirking, you kiss him again, but this time when his tongue enters your mouth, you capture it with your teeth. Not hard enough to hurt him, but enough that he knows he shouldn’t move his tongue unless he wants to have a nasty mark on it. You begin sucking on it, stealing away as much grape soda flavor as you can get. Still sucking, you slowly pull away, only to quickly move back to his mouth and repeat the motion.  
A distorted “fuck” rumbles from deep within Gamzee’s chest. He pushes you away, frowning childishly. You sneer at him, crossing your arms over your chest triumphantly.  
“Motherfucker,” he pouts, “Not fair. You’re such a motherfuckin’ tease.”  
Gamzee untangles your legs from around his waist and set you back down on the floor. You stick your tongue out at him.  
“You like it, now shut up.”  
He smiles and ruffles your hair.  
“So... what exactly were you doing?” you question.  
“I was meditating.”  
“Meditating?”  
“Yeah, bro. It’s like, this miraculous way to chill the fuck out,” Gamzee scratches the back of his neck and looks at the floor, “I was trying to see if I could all up and control myself. It was working for the most part. I guess there’s still a few kinks I should work out.”  
“Wait. So... you’re telling me you haven’t eaten any sopor or smoked any weed?”  
He smiles at this, “Yeah, motherfucker. Drug free for two whole motherfuckin’ days.”  
“Why the sudden change?” you ask, suspicious.  
“Uh... well, I just thought it’d be a wicked Valentine’s surprise,” he shrugged.  
You couldn’t believe it. Gamzee was telling you that he was trying to give up drugs? Was it for you? He knew you didn’t like it, but it’s not like you were against it. Blushing, you facepalm.  
“You’re an idiot.”  
“Love ya too, best friend,” he chuckles, giving you a hug the you hesitantly reciprocate.  
You’re cellphone beeps, making you jump. You take it out and check your new text message.

**From: Dave Strider  
what happened to “be here in 15”  
i thought you needed my help  
its perfectly fine if you dont come over  
im a pretty busy guy  
Recieved: Mon Feb 13, 4:23pm**

**To: Dave Strider  
FUCK YOU STRIDER. I GOT DISTRACTED. IM GETTING THE GUITAR AND ILL BE THERE SOON. KEEP YOUR FUCKING PANTS ON.  
Sent: Mon Feb 13, 4:24pm**

“Who’s that?”  
“Uh...”  
What were you supposed to tell Gamzee? That it was Dave? He would get suspicious. But you don’t want to lie to him. You felt like a small cornered kitten. You’re cell beeped again.

**From: Dave Strider  
woah there.  
you got it. the pants will be off.  
Recieved: Mon Feb 13, 4:24pm**

Facepalming, you let out a growl and type your next message one handedly as Gamzee watches you.

**To: Dave Strider  
FUCK YOU  
Sent: Mon Feb 13, 4:25pm**

**To: Dave Strider  
gladly  
when and where and how hard?  
oh right. 15. my house. so how hard?  
Recieved: Mon Feb 13, 4:26pm**

Letting out a frustrated yell, you throw your phone at the floor.  
“So it’s Dave?” Gamzee asks, picking up your phone and reading the message.  
His eyebrows furrow and he looks a little peeved. There was no use lying now. You glare daggers at your traitorous phone. Piece of shit.  
“Yeah, it’s Dave,” you grind out through clenched teeth.  
Gamzee glares up at you. Great. Now you feel like a douchebag. You can hear Sollux’s voice in the back of your head, agreeing with you.  
“He asked me for help with John. But he’s being an insufferable prick about it.,” you lie, still glaring at your phone.  
“Mmhmm.,” Gamzee hums at you in a bored tone, pressing buttons on your phone, and you assume he’s checking the other messages exchanged between you and Dave.  
“Come on, Gamzee. You know Dave is a fucking conniving twat.”  
Gamzee pauses.  
“What?” you snap.  
He closes the phone, waving it in the air, and says darkly, “Why do you motherfuckin’ feel like you need to lie to me? And why are you all up and askin’ him of all people, for help with somethin’?”  
He pinches the bridge of his nose, a habit you noticed that he’s picked up recently.  
Gamzee cuts you off, sighing as you open your mouth to defend yourself, “You know what? I don’t even want to motherfuckin’ know. My guitar is in the closet if you need it.”  
He threw the phone on his bed and walked out of the room, leaving you standing there feeling like the scum of the earth. There was no helping it now. You trudged into his closet, easily finding the guitar and grabbing it. Now for the apple juice, and then you can escape to Dave’s for a little while. Venturing into the kitchen, you snatch an apple flavored juice box from the fridge. You feel bad about leaving without mentioning anything.  
Turning around, you yell, “Gamzee! I’ll be back soon. I’m going to Strider’s for a little while.”  
As expected, he doesn’t reply, so you shrug and walk out the door.  
The walk to Dave’s apartment isn’t long. He only lives a couple blocks away. And when you get there, you pull out your phone and text him.

**To: Dave Strider  
OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR YOU ASSHOLE  
Sent: Mon Feb 13, 4:40pm**

A moment later, the door clicks and Dave is standing in front of you, a smug grin on his face.  
“I don’t have time for your shenanigans. I need to learn to play one song on this guitar before tomorrow and you are going to teach me,” you demand, sounding a bit desperate.  
“Uh... sure man,” Dave mumbles, stepping aside to let you in, “You got the juice?”  
Dave actually made it easy to learn everything and you had it down in about four hours. He even taught you the vocals. It was the most annoying four hours of your life, and you hope you never have to do it again. You look out the window, noticing it’s really dark outside. What time was it anyways?  
“What fucking time is it?” you growl at Dave.  
He pulls out his phone and stares at it for a minute before responding, “Almost Nine.”  
“Nine? Shit!”  
You scramble around, putting away the guitar as quickly, but as carefully as possible. Pulling out your cellphone, you dial Gamzee’s number. It rings five times and then goes to his voicemail. You press ‘redial’ and wait. This time, he picks up, but he doesn’t say anything.  
“Gamzee?”  
“Yeah?” he says, sounds strange over the phone.  
“Um... I didn’t realize what time it was until just now,” you mumble awkwardly.  
Gamzee doesn’t respond. Damn, you hate talking on the phone.  
“It’s kind of dark out... Come pick me up.”  
The way that came out made it sound more like a question. Dave raises his eyebrows at you, probably making the correct assumption that you dislike the dark.  
“Sure,” Gamzee sighs and hangs up.  
Turning to Dave, you grit your teeth.  
“Thanks. Let’s promise to never do this again.”  
Smugly, Dave sends you a toothy grin, “Cross my heart. Hope to die. Stick a needle in my eye.”  
“Yeah, sure whatever,” you roll your eyes.  
“Allow me to be a gentleman and walk the young lady to the door with my princely swag,” Dave offers, bowing.  
You facepalm, “You are such a gog damn twat.”  
Swiftly picking up Gamzee’s guitar, you head for the door to Dave’s room. Dave makes a show out of opening the door for you and allowing you to walk through it first, and then he follows you down the stairs and to the door of his apartment. It takes at least ten minutes to walk from your apartment to Dave’s, and it’s only been four minutes since you got off the phone with Gamzee. Eight minutes left. Again, Dave makes a show out of opening the door for you, and you respond by promptly giving him a middle finger in his face. You can hear him chuckle as he shuts the door behind you.  
Now what? Thanks to Dave’s shenanigans, you have four minutes until Gamzee arrives. With nothing better to do, you sit on the bottom step of the little concrete porch and prop the guitar up next to you. Crossing your arms over your knees and letting your head fall forward onto them, you can’t help but wonder if Gamzee is still upset. Your thoughts circle around in your head for a minute before you slowly drift off to sleep.

You wake up screaming, and clinging for dear life to the thing lying next to you,. Trembling, you look up to see that Gamzee isn’t lying next to you like he had for the past week or so, and then the memories from yesterday crash into you like a freight train. But, how did you get here? You don’t remember walking home. Oh. Shit. You fell asleep. Gamzee must have carried you home. Now feeling like a complete and utter douche, you realize you left Gamzee for four whole hours. It doesn’t seem all that bad, but he was probably worried about you.  
Wait. What are you clinging to? Angrily, you throw your pillow at the wall. You don’t want the comfort of your stupid pillow. Quietly, you move yourself out of your bed and out of your room. The apartment is pitch black and you can’t see for shit, so you carefully and slowly inch your way over to Gamzee’s room. Miraculously, you made it without bumping into anything. Creaking open the door, you slip inside and stand next to Gamzee’s bed, contemplating your next move. He’s fast asleep, lying on his back, his arms and legs are just lazy spread out. His mouth is wide open and he has a little bit of drool coming out of it. Rolling your eyes, you nudge him a little.  
“Hey. Gamzee.”  
He doesn’t stir.  
Sighing, you take initiative to climb into his bed and curl up next his side. He’s so warm, you have to reach out and put your arms around him, hugging his warmth closer to you. Gamzee takes in a deep breath. You can feel the muscles in his abdomen tensing as he stretches.  
“Oh. Hey, bro,” her yawns  
You respond by hugging him harder and burying your head deeper into his ribs.  
“Another horrorterror?”  
He sighs as you nod, and he r\comfortingly runs his fingers through your hair.After a long silence, Gamzee speaks.  
“Karkat?”  
“Hm?” you manage, exhausted.  
“Sorry, for getting all up and annoyed because you were talking to Dave. I just... get all motherfuckin’ jealous, ya know? It was stupid.”  
You pap his belly and tell him to shoosh.  
“Whatever. It happens.”  
The room is silent again, and you begin to drift off.  
“You’re the moterfuckin’ best, best friend,” Gamzee whispers.  
“And you’re the worst,” you retort grumpily.  
He laughs softly, and then you both drift back to sleep.

When you wake up, you are greeted by the smell of food. Rubbing you eyes, you stumble out of bed and into the kitchen.  
“Good motherfuckin’ mornin’, Grumplestiltskin,” Gamzee chuckles.  
Glaring at him, you grumble, “Bite me.”  
You sit at the table, stretching each of your limbs individually, and moan as you feel them loosen. Gamzee slides a plate in front of you. It is just the perfect amount of food for you. Two pieces of sausage, three pieces of bacon, an egg, and three pancakes. All of it cooked to perfection.  
“What’s this for?”  
Gamzee looks at you with a smile on his face.  
“Happy Valentine’s Day, motherfucker! I made you breakfast.”  
Oh right. You almost forgot about Valentine’s Day.  
Eagerly, you eat all of your breakfast.  
“So? How was it?” Gamzee asks you, looking excited.  
You think for a minute, trying to come up with the right answer.  
“It was like... a miracle in my mouth,” you nod.  
His face lights up and his smile widens, if that’s even possible.  
“I... have something for you. So come here.” you demand.  
Curious, Gamzee follows you into the living room.  
“Sit. And wait here.”  
You watch Gamzee as he excitedly obeys, then you go into his room to find his guitar. You search through his closet, but it isn’t there. Annoyed, you walk back out into the living room empty handed.  
“Hey, idiot. What’d you do with your guitar?”  
Gamzee pauses, thinking.  
“I left it in your room, bro. I wasn’t sure if you still all up and needed it. Why?”  
“Shut up and you’ll find out.”  
Quickly, you walk into your room, and grab the guitar which is perched next to your dresser. You reenter the living room to see Gamzee watching you quietly, confusion plastered all over his face. Smirking, you situate yourself in front of him.  
“Obviously, my skills aren’t anything close to yours. But I tried, alright?”  
As you begin strumming, the look on Gamzee’s face is just indescribable. It’s like he’s a little kid seeing Santa Claus for the first time.  
And then you begin singing, “This time, this place, Misused, mistakes. Too long, too late, Who was I to make you wait? Just one chance, just one breath, Just in case there’s just one left. ‘Cause you know, You know, you know That I love you, I have loved you all along. And I miss you, been far away for far too long. I keep dreaming you’ll be with me and you’ll never go. Stop breathing if I don’t see you anymore.

One my knees, I’ll ask, Last chance for one last dance. ‘Cause with you I’d withstand, All of hell just to hold your hand. I’d give it all, I’d give for us, Give anything but I won’t give up. ‘Cause you know, You know, you know. That I love you, I have loved you all along. And I miss you, been far away for far too long. I keep dreaming you’ll be with me and you’ll never go. Stop breathing if I don’t see you anymore.

So far away, been far away for far too long. So far away, been far away for far too long. But you know, You know, you know. I wanted, I wanted you to stay. ‘Cause I needed, I need to hear you say. I love you, I have loved you all along. And I forgive you for being away for far too long. So keep breathing ‘cause I’m not leaving you anymore. Believe it, hold on to me, never let me go. Keep breathing ‘cause I’m not leaving you anymore. Believe it, hold on to me, never let me go. Hold on to me, never let me go. Hold on to me, never let me go.”

You didn’t realize you had closed your eyes, but apparently you had. Opening your eyes and setting the guitar to the side, you find Gamzee tearing up. He sniffles a little, before tackling you to the floor with a bear hug.  
“Jegus. Gamzee. Don’t cry,” you hiss, as your head hits the floor.  
“I motherfuckin’ love you, Karkat. That was a motherfuckin’ miracle,” he smiles at you, wiping away his tears.  
You blush looking away from him, patting his head, “I love you too, Gamzee.”  
Suddenly Gamzee’s face is right in front of yours, making you blush harder. He is grinning from ear to ear.  
“No. Motherfucker. You don’t get it. I... all up and motherfucking... love... you... More than best friends.”  
“Stupid fuckass,” you grit your teeth.  
Forcefully, you grab his face and close the short gap between you. Quickly, like always, he is eager to get his tongue in your mouth. After a few minutes of sloppy makeouts, you poke his forehead and look directly into his eyes.  
“Gamzee. I fucking love you.”  
He stares at you for a moment, processing what you just said.  
“So, does that mean...?”  
“Yes. Finally,” you sigh exasperatedly.  
Gamzee rest his forehead on yours and just smiles. You can’t help it. Smiling is contagious. And for the first time in a long time, you are both smiling.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My wrist is feeling better, so here's an early update! (:  
> Updates might be a little slow for a couple weeks, I don't want to overuse my wrist, and I have like three papers to type for school. :/

**⇒ Be Sollux.**

You can’t help but notice the jealous look on Eridan’s face. It makes you feel guilty. You’ve never been good with feelings, especially your own. Being bipolar doesn’t help, but trying to meet the quadrants is a thing you just sort of gave up on. You can’t sort your feelings out for the life of you, so you don’t even know who belongs in what quadrant. One thing you do know about your feelings, is that you have some for Karkat. You’d never act on them. They are small and insignificant. But, you also have some for Eridan, although you are positive they are only the feelings of friendship. So, knowing that Eridan has a thing for you, which is why he isn’t much of a dick to you, is just unsettling and it makes you feel guilty about not being able to reciprocate.  
“I don’t really underthtand what happened... Obviouthly it had thomething to do with me being in hith room, but I totally blanked and can’t remember a thing.”  
“Sol, just, take a deep breath,” Eridan sighs, glaring at the table, “I don’t understand why you keep livin’ there and chasin’ after him if he’s always such a hormonal little son of a bitch. And please, don’t tell me you’re attracted to that crap. Nobody could ever be attracted to that. He treats you like shit. I should fuckin’ obliterate the fuckin’ -”  
“Eridan,” you say.  
There is no anger in your voice, but he immediately stops, pouting and looking at the floor as he crosses his arms, just like a small child being scolded by their parent.  
“You know it’th complicated for me.”  
He turns his gaze on you. You can see the fire burning behind his purple irises.  
“Everythin’ is complicated for you, Sollux,” he spits.  
Your eyes widen and all you can do is stare at him. He never calls you Sollux.  
“I’m done helpin’ you wwith your problems relating to Karkat. I’m done. I can’t do this,” he seethes.  
It’s obvious he’s extremely upset. His small accent where his Ws and Vs reverberate only comes out when he’s stressed.  
Eridan stands up, raising his voice, “Wwhy do you do this to me? Wwhy can’t you just be like any other normal person and just reject me? Just say it, Sollux! ‘No, Eridan. I could nevver like you. You’re hopeless, wweak, and havve nothin’ attractivve about you. You wwill be forevver alone. You wwill nevver amount to anythin’. Wwe can’t be friends anymore, you repulsivve freak.’ Fuck, it’s not that hard! But no, you havve to torture me. Evvery day. You get my hopes up. Maybe, just maybe, I could havve a functional relationship with someone. Especially considering I havve no friends. They all abandoned me. Couldn’t deal wwith me. But you didn’t. You didn’t abandon me. But you kneww. You kneww! And you didn’t do anything about it. You pretended. As if pretending wwould make it go awway!”  
He’s sniffling now, rubbing his nose on his sleeve and fiercely digging at his eyes. You stand up, opening your mouth to say something, anything, but he shushes you.  
“Don’t evven,” his lip quivers, “I don’t wwant to hear your meaningless apology or any of that shit wwhere you tell me you understand, because you don’t. You havve friends and people you can talk to. You don’t understand wwhat it’s like to be in lovve with your best friend, and havve him just pretend like your feelings aren’t there. And yeah, Karkat’s an ass to you. That hurts. But it hurts evven more wwhen the person knowws and continues to be friends wwith you, getting your hopes up, and crashing them down again, ovver, and ovver, and ovver...”  
As Eridan continues to say “over and over” nonstop, you use your psionics to force his arms above his head so you can see his face. He doesn’t fight it, but he goes silent, refusing to look at you. Standing in front of him, your psionics lightly push his chin up so he is looking at your face.  
“Thtop,” you growl as he tries to look away from you.  
He settles for closing his eyes tightly, obviously fighting back tears. Not knowing what to say, you stare at him for a minute. He begins to struggle, even though he knows it won’t make a difference.  
“Eridan, I-”  
“Fuck you.”  
At that, you can feel a tug at your heart. The venom in his voice pierced your chest like a dagger, you almost want to grab at it to make the pain stop. His eyes were open now, glaringly ice cold, and still slightly watery.  
You try again, “I didn’t mean-”  
“Shut up.”  
You can feel your face fall in a frown. Neither of you say anything for awhile. You just stare at each other. The look in Eridan’s eyes tells you that he is serious. You notice a slight glow in his irises, but it’s probably just the light in the room. He’s got that look, like when an anime character gets pissed off when their comrade dies and they are seeking revenge. It’s sort of unnerving. All the while, the pain never leaving your chest.  
Suddenly, he speaks up, but it’s quiet, so you don’t catch what he says.  
“What?”  
The glow in his eyes seems to brighten as he repeats himself, yelling, “I said, I HATE you!”  
His voice cracks on the word ‘hate’ and tears stream down his face as he starts sobbing. You’re in such shock that your psionics lose their grip on Eridan, your mouth open slightly in a silent gasp. He crumples to floor, curling in on himself. You can’t bring yourself to speak, you have no air in your lungs to even make any noise. It’s like you’ve been kicked in the stomach, the air forced out of you. All you can do is stare at him as he falls apart on the floor. Holding out a hand, you go to put it on his shoulder, but stop as he lets out another loud sob, his chest heaving. You’re not even sure how it came to this, but you’ve fucked up badly.  
You stand there awkwardly, watching Eridan as he cries on the floor. It’s been about half an hour already and it doesn’t seem like he’s going to stop. Fixing your sunglasses, you shove your hands in your pockets, looking at Eridan for just a few more seconds before making your way to the door. With your hand on the knob, you hear Eridan in the kitchen. He’s talking to himself, but all you can make out are incoherent obscenities. There is a loud bang, as if he slammed his hand against the table and the sound of him shouting more obscenities. Sighing to yourself, you open the door and walk to your car.  
Your head hurts, you can still feel the sting in your chest, and it’s raining. Today is a terrible day. Wait. It can’t rain inside your car. You wipe your fingers across your cheek. It’s wet. You’re crying. You, Sollux Captor, are crying. And to top it all off, you are more confused about your feelings than you have ever been.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I put in an actual chapter for Chapter 13, so make sure you go back and read it.

⇒ Be Karkart.  
Probably for the first time in your life, you are speechless. Utterly. Fucking. Speechless. Gamzee literally took your breath away. You had no idea he looked up to you like that. Well, not exactly look up to, but he at least thought highly of you. The two of you just sit in silence, you, staring at Gamzee, mouth slightly open, and Gamzee, blushing slightly and looking down, twiddling his thumbs.  
Your phone vibrates obnoxiously, breaking the silence. Gamzee jumps a little , as do you. He watches as you grumpily pull it out of your pocket. It’s Sollux.

From: Sollux Captor  
kk  
ii need two talk two you.  
Received: Saturday 2:18PM

You glare daggers at your phone, as if it were Sollux. Stabbing to buttons you send a quick reply.

To: Sollux Captor  
WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT?  
IM BUSY.  
AND WHAT MAKES YOU THINK I WANT TO TALK TO YOU?  
Sent: Saturday 2:18PM

Gamzee silently watches you, confused. Turning to him, you open your mouth to speak, but your phone buzzes again before you can even form any words.

From: Sollux Captor  
kk...  
Sent: Saturday 2:19PM

From: Sollux Captor  
we really need two talk.  
ii know you dont want two.  
Sent: Saturday 2:19PM  
From: Sollux Captor  
kk?  
Sent: Saturday 2:23PM

From: Sollux Captor  
plea2e kk. dont iignore me.  
iim 2o confu2ed.  
ii need my be2t friiend riight now.  
Sent: Saturday 2:28PM

Slamming your phone shut, you throw it at the wall behind Gamzee, who’s been patiently waiting for you to explain you frustration. He’s looking at you, concern plastered to his painted face. You ignore him, clenching your fists and shoving them in your lap. Your whole body is tense and your breathe is coming out unevenly. In an angry attempt to calm yourself down, you glare at your hands, controlling your breathing so that it comes out in heavy, frustrated sighs.  
“Hey,” Gamzee say softly, “What’s wrong motherfucker?”  
You refuse to look at him, so you close your eyes. The couch creaks and you can feel the weight shifting, like Gamzee stood up. You open your eyes just in time to see Gamzee standing in front of you, arms outstretched and quickly leaning towards you as if he was going to hug you. Flinching backwards, you’re stuck between Gamzee and the back of the couch.  
Panic. There is no anger anymore. Everything is in slow motion and you feel as if you’re suffocating. You feel the fear bubbling inside your stomach. You want to tell Gamzee, “No,” but you can’t find your voice. You are frozen. And as Gamzee closes his arms around you, memories come rushing back from that night with Sollux. Your body is no longer controlled by your mind and is solely in the mercy of your impulses.  
“NO!” you scream at Gamzee, terrified.  
You push him off you and curl into yourself. No. No. No. No. You don’t want the memories to come back. Your hands clutch at your hair as you dig your eyes into you knees.  
“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck,” you repeat.  
“Karkat,” Gamzee’s voice is hurt, and possibly scared, you can’t tell.  
“Don’t touch me,” you demand harshly when you hear the sounds of fabric rubbing against fabric, as if Gamzee were reaching out his hand to you.  
There’s a pause. Neither of you say a thing. It’s an awkward silence.  
Determined, Gamzee tries again, “Karkat. Look at me.”  
“No,” you refuse stubbornly.  
“I’m going to count to motherfuckin’ three!” Gamzee growls.  
You don’t respond, wishing he would just let it go, but knowing he won’t.  
“One.”  
At any other point in time, you’d probably make fun of Gamzee for trying to act like your parent and how shitty a parent he would actually be.  
“Motherfuckin’ two.”  
You try curling into yourself even tighter, preparing for Gamzee to rip down your self-barrier.  
“Three!”  
He grasps your shoulders, pushing them back against the couch. Gamzee isn’t rough with you, he never is, never was, but that doesn’t stop you from flinching again. Not wanting to fight him, you allow your head to fall back against the couch, letting your hands fall loosely by your sides and squeezing your eyes as tight as they will go. But Gamzee isn’t satisfied with this. He cups your face gently with both of his hands.  
“Look at me.”  
He isn’t angry, or demanding. He is calm, and almost whispering. Shamefully, you comply. A blush creeps over your face. Gamzee is leaning over you, his face is mere centimeters from yours. There’s a warm feeling in your stomach, and it makes you uncomfortable. The situation gives you a sense of dejavu, and an image flashes across your eyes, making you freeze and your breath hitch.  
It’s Sollux, with his lust filled eyes, ready to tear you apart like a ravenous tiger. You feel your eyes widen with the same fear from that night. Tears gather around your eyes, blurring Gamzee’s face.  
“Shit,” you hiss, fiercely trying to fight back your tears.  
Wanting to hide your face, you grab Gamzee’s shirt and roughly pull him towards you, intending to bury your face in his shoulder or chest. But, like everything else, things don’t go your way.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is kinda short. My weekend has been really hectic.

**⇒ Be Eridan.**

You are a mess. You cannot believe you just did that. How hopeless can you possibly be?  
Watching the blood drip from your knuckles, you absently think that you should at least attempt to clean it up. The thick purple liquid drips steadily onto the floor, splattering and pooling in the crevices between the kitchen tiles. You know your hand hurts, but you honestly can’t feel a thing. It’s like you’re numb. The sting in your chest is just a dull throb.  
You have never felt this miserable in your life. Your feet drag you to the bathroom, where you rinse your hand under cool water. Feeling slightly calmer, you decide you should take a bath. The water always seems to calm you down and get rid of your worries.  
As you wait for the tub to fill up with soap bubbles and steamy water, you hear your phone vibrate. Nobody ever texts you except for Sollux, and he is the last person you want to talk to. Ignoring it, you step into the tub and slowly allow yourself to sink into the soothing warmth. You wish... you wish... you really, really, wish... that you could just live in the depths of your soap bubble kingdom. Where everything goes they way you want it to, and you don’t have to feel so worthless. Where you can rule over your kingdom, cleansing it of all the meddlesome landlubbers.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm throwing a surprise birthday party for a friend tomorrow so I won't be able to update, and Spanish class is boring right now, so here is the new chapter a day early.

⇒ Be Gamzee.  
Woah. That is not what you expected. You can feel your whole body go rigid and your face is hotter than a freshly baked slime pie. Karkat is frozen. He doesn’t seem to be breathing either. It seems like he isn’t going to be moving any time soon, so you take the initiative to quickly pull your lips away from his. Your hands are on either side of him where they had fallen to catch yourself from falling on him. Karkat’s face is completely white and he’s staring at you with a look of shock mixed with terror.  
“Shit,” is all you can mumble as you stand up, rubbing the back of your neck.  
There’s an awkward silence. You can almost feel the tension in the air. It’s so thick, you could cut it with a knife. You watch Karkat, waiting for him to move, to speak, anything. But he’s still stiffer than a statue. His phone buzzes again, making you both jump. Taking a quick peek at his face, you notice that he looks dazed. You snatch his phone off the floor and look through his conversation with Sollux. There’s a new message.

From: Sollux Captor  
kk. ii’m 2orry.  
ii don’t know what ii diid to pii22 you off 2o much. but iit wa2 obviiou2ly pretty bad.  
iif iit’2 about that niight...  
ii don’t even remember anythiing that happened, ii 2wear.  
Sent: Saturday 3:09PM

You feel obligated to respond.

To: Sollux Captor  
Yo mOtHeRfUcKeR.  
kAr’S kInDa BuSy. MiNd TaLkIn To ThIs ChIlL mOtHeRfUcKeR fOr A sEc?  
Sent: Saturday 3:11PM

His response is almost immediate, and you feel like maybe you can find out what’s going on with Karkat if you can keep this conversation going.

From: Sollux Captor  
oh hey gamzee. that'2 cool ii gue22.  
what ii2 iit?  
Sent: Saturday 3:11PM

To: Sollux Captor  
SwEeT! yOu ArE oNe AwEsOmE mOtHeRfUcKeR. hOnK. :O)  
i HaVe A qUeStIoN aBoUt KaRkAt.  
CaN yOu GeT sOmE eXpLaIn On AnD pOsSiBlY sHeD sOmE mOtHeRfUcKiN’ lIgHt FoR a BiT?  
Sent: Saturday 3:13PM

From: Sollux Captor  
thank2.  
2ure.  
Sent: Saturday 3:13PM

To: Sollux Captor  
ThAnKs, BrO!  
AiGhT. sO, i GuEsS sOmE bAd MoThErFuCkIn' ShIt HaPpEnEd. :O(  
KaR's HeRe At My PlAcE, bY tHe WaY.  
BuT, i GuEsS wHaT i’M tRyInG tO aLl MoThErFuCkIn' gEt At Is... wHaT hApPeNeD tO mAkE hIm AlL uP aNd Be FrEaKeD oUt By PhYsIcAl CoNtAcT?  
Sent: Saturday 3:16PM

You look up at Karkat again. He’s got his head on his knees and his arms wrapped around himself. Slumping against the wall, you wonder if there’s a way to fix him. Sollux takes awhile to respond.

From: Sollux Captor  
what?  
Sent: Saturday 3:28PM

To: Sollux Captor  
YoU kNoW. hE gEtS aLl JuMpY aNd ScArEd If YoU tOuCh HiM.  
i JuSt AlL uP aNd HuGgEd HiM aNd He MoThErFuCkIn’ BrOkE dOwN.  
Sent: Saturday 3:29PM

From: Sollux Captor  
he break2 down all the tiime. what el2e ii2 new?  
Sent: Saturday 3:30PM

To: Sollux Captor  
No MoThErFuCkEr. He WaSn’T aNgRy. He WaS uPsEt.  
Sent: Saturday 3:31PM

From: Sollux Captor  
...ii don’t know why he would react that way  
Sent: Saturday 3:33PM

To: Sollux Captor  
WeLl WhAt WeRe YoU sAyInG aBoUt ThE oThEr NiGhT?  
hE dIdN’t GeT hIs PaNtS AlL In A bUnCh JuSt BeCaUsE i TrIeD hUgGiNg HiM. iT sTaRtEd WhEn YoU tExTeD hIm.  
Sent: Saturday 3:35PM

From: Sollux Captor  
2o? what’2 your poiint?  
Sent: Saturday 3:36PM

To: Sollux Captor  
My PoInT?  
honk.  
SoLlUx.  
what did you do?  
Sent: Saturday 3:37PM

From: Sollux Captor  
that’2 ju2t iit.  
ii don’t know what ii diid two make hiim hate me 2o much.  
there wa2 thii2 one day awhiile ago. 2ome douchebag triied 2endiing me a viiru2 and triied two giive me carbon-monoxiide poii2oniing. ii had a headache for a day or 2o after.  
and ii remember wakiing up iin kk’2 room the niight the headache went away. unfortunately, ii dont know what ii wa2 doiing iin hiis room, or why ii wa2 layiing on the floor. and my headache had returned.  
ever 2iince then, he ha2nt 2aid a word two me.  
Sent: Saturday 3:39PM

You don’t fully understand what all that means exactly, but it’s obvious that Sollux had something to do with Karkat’s strange behavior. Right then, you decide you’re going to get to the bottom of this. You’re going to figure out what happened and find a way to help Karkat if it’s the last thing you do.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update guys! I got really sick with this insane cold or something and I've been bed ridden all week. I'm slowly getting better. I kind of forgot to update yesterday because my boyfriend came over to make sure I was okay and ended up visiting all day and distracted me. :(

**⇒ Be Sollux.**

Why was Gamzee so curious all of a sudden? You’re getting a foreboding feeling. But you still need to talk to Karkat. Maybe you should drive over to Gamzee’s place and confront him. It’s a better option than going back to Eridan’s.  
As you pull into the juggalo’s driveway, you’re suddenly unsure whether this was a good idea. You pull out your phone and text Karkat once more.

 

To: Karkat Vantas  
kk...  
or gamzee.  
whoever thii2 ii2.  
miind iif ii 2top buy for a miinute?  
Sent: Saturday 4:04PM

 

Drumming your fingers on the steering wheel of your 2007 Ford Shelby, you wait for a reply.After about ten minutes, a movement in the corner of your eye catches your attention. It’s Gamzee, soporhaze, clown paint, and all, peering into your car window. You jump back, surprised by his sudden appearance. He smiles excitedly and waves for you to step out of your car.  
“Heyyy! Nice ride motherfucker,” he admires as you shut the driver’s side door behind you.  
“Yeah, thankth. It’th not much.”  
“Racing stripes your thing? I like your color choice, man. Blue stripes on red looks sweet!” Gamzee continues ogling your car.  
“Not really. It wath the only way to get the red and blue without everyone thinking I’m a tool.”  
A dry laugh nips at your ears, making you look away from Gamzee and at the doorway that he carelessly left open. It’s Karkat, standing there looking at you with dead eyes. No emotion whatsoever was on his face. His body language read the same, except for his usual sassy arm crossing.  
You stare at him speechlessly, while he stares back, empty.  
“Karkles!” Gamzee breaks the silence, “You all peachy now, bro? All up and had me motherfuckin’ worried.”  
Blinking, Karkat turns to him and opens his mouth about to speak, but then closes it and glares. Is he blushing? No. He couldn’t be.  
Clearing your throat, you find your voice, “Tho... I gueth we need to talk.”  
“Yeah. We should...” Gamzee frowns, “Let’s all go get our comfort on and go sit inside.”  
Karkat huffs and turns on his heel, disappearing inside, you and Gamzee following suite. You are so not ready for this.  
Karkat is sitting on the sofa, Gamzee gets himself situated to Karkat’s left, while you choose to sit across from them in a reclining chair.  
“I gueth I’ll thtart. But... um... where do you want me to thtart from?” you volunteer feebly.  
Gamzee scratches his head for a moment, before saying. “Well, why don’t you start from that night? What do you all up and remember?”  
Karkat sits up from his brooding, looking at Gamze with some sort of silent plea, but Gamzee gives him a stern look and shushes him.  
“Uh.. well I don’t remember all that much. I’ll go back a little. Thome guy, I can’t remember who, wath trying to troll me. I kinda ignored him and went to make a sandwich. When I came back, he had thent a viruth to my computer. It wath a pretty lame move if you athk me. Thending a thimple noxiouth gath viruth to an experienced hacker wath really dumb. It gave me a headache for the retht of the day, but it wathn’t a big deal.”  
“Woah, motherfucker. Hold up a sec. You’re sayin’ someone tried to get their murder on and you were the victim?” Gamzee asks, generally concerned, but his eyes tell you he’s trying to fit something together.  
You see him quickly glance at Karkat as you respond, “Yeah. But they were theriouthly thtupid... Anywayth... I remember going to bed that night and then the retht wath really fuzzy. I could hear KK thcreaming, probably at me... At firtht it wath angry thcreaming... but then...”  
You shudder, remembering the terror in those noises. Karkat has the same reaction, but you brush it off. It’s not like he had the same dream as you.  
Running a hand through your hair, you continue, “But then, it wath full of fear. And then I remember feeling like thomeone had kicked me in the thtomach, and my head wath pounding, like it had hit a hard thurface...”  
You rub the back of your head, remembering the sensation.  
Quietly, you mumble to yourself, “It felt tho real... and I did have a bruithe on my thtomach and a bump on my head...”  
“What?”  
You look up at Gamzee. His serious, calculating face isn’t a welcoming sight. He looks borderline sober and it’s making that foreboding feeling come back.  
“Uh... I uh um...” you stutter, “When I woke up, I wath in my room. I had a migrane and a bruithe on my thtomach. But it wath jutht a dream. Honethtly, it thcared the hell out of me that I wath bruithed. I mutht have hit mythelf or thomething.”  
Gamzee’s face darkens, and you can no longer find your words. Karkat is clutching his hair in the fetal position.  
“That was no dream, motherfucker.”  
You jump out of your chair, hands up in front of your chest.  
“It wath! What elthe could it have been?! Come on! Do you really think I’d hurt Karkat?!” your voice cracks as you say ‘hurt’.  
“Shut the fuck up, motherfucker, and sit the fuck down,” Gamzee commands calmly.  
Gamzee is in that state of irate calmness. You can tell he is about to flip his lid and you are positively freaking out. This is bad. What does Gamzee know that you don’t? Why is Karkat acting so strangely? Was everything that happened really a dream? What the fuck is going on?!


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realize I haven't updated for over a week.  
> Because of this I was planning on giving you guys 2-3 chapters this week.  
> I honestly have no excuse except for the fact that I forgot.  
> Last week was just really hectic with the end of the quarter at school.  
> Sorry for the delay. :(

⇒ Be Gamzee.  
This motherfucker.  
This motherfucking motherfucker.  
You should rip him, limb from limb. Right here. Right now. You should wring his neck, tie him up, hang him from a tree and beat him with bat like he’s pinata. Your fingers are itching, twitching with anticipation. Sollux takes a step backward as you take one forward. Your vision is beginning to blur with that angry haze you are so familiar with. All the while, your face holds its facade, a lazy smile still plastered to your cheeks. His fear smells delectable, making your saliva drip from the corner of your mouth. Maybe you should inject him with sopor and roast him over a fire, then eat his slime induced hide.  
Sollux is watching you, calculating. He’s planning an escape route. You let out a soft giggle at the thought. Him? Escape? Escape from you? Nobody has ever escaped. And the thought now has you full on roaring with laughter. It hurts your stomach as you wipe a tear from your eye. He won’t escape. Sollux hurt Karkat. And he’s going to get what he deserves and more.  
With his back already against the wall, you’ve got him pinned. You can see the hysteria rising in his eyes. Shifting to take another step, you stop dead.  
It’s Karkat. His hand is on your shoulder, head down. His eyes are glaring up at you from beneath his thick hair.  
Snapping his head to look at Sollux, he growls irately, “Get the fuck out of my site.”  
Looking hurt, terrified, and torn, Sollux opens his mouth to interject, but closes it, realizing it better to not make his situation worse. Slowly, he backs out of your living room, not taking his eyes off you.  
When you see him close the front door, you turn to Karkat. He’s trembling, still gripping your shoulder. You aren’t sure if he’s angry or scared.  
“Kar-” you begin, but you’re cut off as his open palm collides with the side of your face.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promised two chapters this week. (:

⇒ Be Karkat.  
Well fuck. You regret nothing.  
As your palm connected with Gamzee’s face, you could see his anger spiking and the red glare return to his eyes.  
“Hey motherfucker. That wasn’t cool,” he grumbles, holding a hand to his cheek.  
Okay. That had the opposite effect on him. Like you said. You regret nothing.  
“Fuck you, you fucking juggalo! It doesn’t matter what Sollux did, you don’t have any right to go all dark carnival on his ass! Calm the fuck down before I do it for you! I swear to fucking Gog, Gamzee. I will fucking shoosh you. I will shoosh you so hard, you’re Lusus will fucking feel it!”  
Gamzee is motionless, staring at you. The color of his eyes is slowing reverting back to normal, but it’s sort of unnerving how still he his.  
“Gamzee.”  
And then he bursts out laughing. This fucking clown is laughing. Laughing! After you just ranted at him, he is fucking laughing.  
Growling angrily, you throw your hands up, turning on your heels to stalk off into the kitchen. Gamzee catches your wrist as it swings back down, tugging on it. His tug was probably more forceful than he meant, which resulted in you slipping backwards into him.  
Catching you more or less gracefully, Gamzee chuckles, flips you around, and wraps his arms around you in a tight squeeze. And once again, you can feel the world shrinking in on you and that overwhelming need to hide suffocating you. But suddenly he’s shaking your shoulders, forcing your mind to see him. You can feel your bottom lip quivering as Gamzee speaks.  
“Karkat. Karkat. Chill, bro. I can’t stand seein’ you all motherfucking hurting and shit. It’s killing me. Fuck, man. I’m your motherfucking best friend. Your motherfcukin’ moirail. And I wasn’t there to protect you. I failed you. I should have been able to do something. I... I want to fix you. I want to make you better. I want to take this all away. I don’t want you to have to suffer like this. A lot has happened in these past few years and we need to fill up the gap we have stuck between us. I would do anything to keep you safe. Karkat, you’re like my own motherfuckin’ miracle sent down from the messiahs.”  
This entire scenario is reminding you of one of your Romcoms. The girl had been a victim of sexual assault and was terrified to make any physical contact with anyone, especially her best friend. So, the guy tries his damndest to try and make her better by just spending all of his time with her. After a few years, they guy gives up, feeling hopeless and as if he hadn’t made any progress. A few days later, the girl gets diagnosed with AIDS. She is sent to the hospital and is put in the ICU after passing out. As predicted, the guy shows up and cries by her bedside. He monologues about how he was a terrible friend and how he couldn’t protect her. But he won’t say he loves her, afraid of being denied for the umpteenth time. That night, as she lays dying, she grabs his hand, smiles at him, and tells him, “You were amazing. You never left my side after all those years. I could never have asked for more. I love you.” And she passes in the midst of saying his name.  
“Fuck, Karkat,” Gamzee mutters.  
You look up just as he forcefully pulls on your shoulders, hugging you tightly to him. Almost automatically, your arms latch around him, digging your nails into his back. You can feel your knees giving way and Gamzee lowers you both onto your knees.   
“Gamzee,” you sob as you bury your face into his chest, “Just... make it... stop.”  
He begins shooshing you and papping your hair. It’s in this moment that you can feel his heartbeat, slow and steady. You just want to stay here forever like this. You don’t want him to ever let you go.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally a chapter that is on time! :D

**⇒ Be Sollux.**

Today just isn’t your day. But then again, when is it? You’re left standing on Gamzee’s doorstep, not knowing how to react to the situation at hand. Gamzee thinks that you... No. Definitely not. You’re not like that. He’s just overreacting. But Karkat... It would explain why he’s been giving you the cold shoulder. And it would make sense as to how he was caving in on himself on Gamzee’s couch a moment ago. No no no. That’s just stupid. What the fuck are you thinking?  
Your phone vibrates, snapping you out of your thoughts.

From: Aradia Megido  
s0llux lets discuss what is tr0ubling y0u 0nce y0u get here  
Sent: Saturday 6:38PM

You really wish she would stop doing that. It’s really creepy how she knows things like that. You guess it’s a good thing though, considering you were just about to go back to Eridan’s. That would not have ended well. So, without further debating, you get in your car and drive shakily over to Aradia’s.  
You walk up to the door and lift your hand to knock, but you don’t get the chance. Aradia already has the door opened.  
“Hello, Sollux,” she says sweetly, but slightly monotone, “Please come in and make yourself at home.”  
“Uh... thankth Aradia,” you mumble, awkwardly.  
Ever since she dumped you for Equius, things between the two of you have been forever uncomfortable. Somehow you still managed to be moirails.  
“I’m going to make some tea. It’ll help calm your nerves. Then you can explain what happened. you know where the living room is,” she instructs you, ushering you inside before she runs off into the kitchen.  
You make yourself comfortable on her couch, taking a look around the room like you’ve done a million times before. The sounds of clinking pots and pans and running water can be heard from the kitchen. It’s somehow soothing, giving her house an even homier touch. You choose to sit on the couch that is pushed up against the wall, that way you can gaze at the entire room. There is another sofa just like it to your right, and behind that is a large sliding window. In front of you is a fireplace, with unlit logs for decoration. You can’t remember the last time she even used that thing. You take notice of the new coffee table she has set up. It’s a dark red wood, presumably cherry. Little frog figurines little the mantle of the fireplace and larger ones are scattered on the floor. This room is always so peaceful, and it makes you feel a little better just sitting in here.  
“One or two?” Aradia calls.  
“What?”  
“How many spoonfuls of sugar?”  
“Oh... Two I gueth. Thankth.”  
Aradia arrives with two mugs of steaming tea.  
“Here,” she smiles as she hands you the warm mug, “Now, start from the beginning. What’s troubling you?”


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fan fiction is amazing, I highly suggest you guys read it while waiting for me to update! :D http://archiveofourown.org/works/330933/chapters/534028
> 
> This story has reached almost 3000 views!  
> And I can't believe this fic has survived so long! Thank you so much for all your support you guys! <3  
> My hope is that it will be really popular within the HomeStuck fandom some day, or even just the GamKar/EriSol shippers. (: If you guys want to spread the word to any of your friends or followers, I will love you forever.  
> And I'd like to thank my Creative Writing teacher, Mr. Selby for giving me confidence in my writing. (I have so much love for that man, you have no idea.) I would never have posted this without him.
> 
> Pretty important chapter here. (I actually never intended to write in anyone elses perspective other than Eridan, Karkat, Gamzee, and Sollux.)

**⇒ Be Aradia.**

You begin to worry as Sollux remains quiet. He’s usually very open with you and has no problem speaking up. It’s rather troubling that he is staring off into his mug , avoiding eye contact.  
“Aradia.”  
You perk up as you hear him begin quietly.  
“I- I think I did thomething really bad.”  
Keeping silent, you allow him to continue.  
“Firtht of all, Eridan’th mad at me again,” he mumbles, sipping his tea.  
Ah. That makes sense, and it’s no surprise. It always seems to trouble him deeply when Eridan gets annoyed with him.  
“What happened this time?” you inquire, although you already know.  
“He got jealouth of Karkat, and I may or may not have uthed my pthiionicth on him. Tho he told me to get out of hith houthe after he had a breakdown...”  
“Have you apologized?”  
Sollux looks at you, befuddled, “No.”  
“”Why not?”  
“I wath -” he takes a very long pause and you find this concerning, “I wath buthy... And it’th not like he’d bother anthwering a text. You know how thtubborn he ith.”  
“I understand, but you should apologize soon. I advise going straight to his house after you leave here,” you sigh.  
“I know. I know.”  
Sollux swirls the tea in his mug, watching it intently, and uncomfortable look on his face.  
“What else?”  
An odd expression clouds his features. If you had to describe it, you would say it was a mix of disgust, anguish, shame, and fear.  
“Sollux. You said you may have done something bad. What was it?” you say sternly.  
His body seems to shrink a little, and he begins to look very small on your large couch.  
“I-I,” he stutters nervously, “don’t know.”  
You wait, knowing he just needs time to say what he needs to say, and take a long drink of tea.  
Clearing his throat, he begins again, “Gamzee thinkth I did thomething terrible. I’m thtarting to think maybe he’th right... Kar...”  
His eyes close as he takes a deep breath.  
“Karkat hathn’t thpoken to me for weekth now. I’ve tried athking him why, but he jutht ignoreth me. And when I... When I talked to Gamzee today... He got really defenthive over Karkat and kicked me out. I don’t remember anything. It’th all tho hazy. But Gamzee wath tho thure that it wath all my fault. But I would never. I can’t believe he accuthed me of it. I mean... me?”  
Sollux begins to ramble, no longer making sense. He was speaking faster as he got more and more upset over what had happened with Gamzee and Karkat. This was obviously something very big. Gamzee doesn’t normally get defensive over Karkat unless the little Cancer’s life is on the line.  
“Sollux. Sollux. Take a deep breath. Calm down.”  
Whoops. You forgot that telling him to to calm down was always the wrong approach. Anger flares in his eyes and his bipolarity has changed his mood before you can blink. He stand up, putting his empty mug down harshly on the table.  
“I didn’t do it! It’th not fair that everyone accutheth me of everything! Why ith it alwayth my fault?!”  
“I am not accusing you.”  
“Everyone elthe ith! Eridan ith accuthing me of uthing him, hurting him, and not underthtanding him! Gamzee and Karkat are accuthing me of... of... DOING thingth I would never do! Ethpethially without conthent! I’m not a monthter! I would never hurt Karkat like that!”  
“Doing things... without consent? What things?”  
Sollux tenses, blushing furiously. He doesn’t speak, his eyes left glaring daggers into yours.  
“I don’t understand.”  
“They accuthed me,” he seethes through clenched teeth, “Of raping my betht friend.”


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's short. My vacation has been a LOT busier than expected. :/

**⇒ Be Eridan.**

You’re still wallowing in your bathtub when there’s a loud knock on the door. You’ve been in here for hours and you’ve had time to calm yourself, even if you’re still depressed.  
Curious and a little scared, you mumble, “Just a second. Let me get dressed.”  
You make no move to get out of the safety of your tub, you aren’t quite sure you’re ready to get out yet. Sollux could wait a little bit. You had a hunch that it was him. Who else lets themselves into your house? To prove your point, the door opens and a familiar face peeks in. You turn away quickly, feeling awkward about being naked in front of Sollux, but apparently it doesn’t bother him. He steps into your bathroom, closing the door behind him, his eyes cast down. The awkwardness in the air is so heavy you can taste it.  
“Uh, Sol...”  
He picks his head up, looking over to where you keep your towels, using his psiionics to hand it to you so you can get out of the tub.  
“Err... Thanks,” you accept the towel and cover yourself up as you climb out.  
You glance over at Sollux, actually looking at his face, as you tie the towel to your waist, your feet still dripping. His eyes are slightly puffy and seem a little irritated, and you notice how glossy they look. Hurriedly, you drain the tub and do a running slide across the tile floor. You stop inches in front of him, your clothes forgotten and your focus completely on him.  
“What? What happened? Why were you- Why are you crying?”


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry I haven't update in awhile. I had prom this past weekend and a lot has been going on with school.
> 
> I have decided to updated once every other week instead of every week. Just until school is out if my summer isn't super busy. But because of slower updates, this will hopefully mean longer chapters? I feel like I slack off and write too little, so I would like to try and write more.
> 
> Also, please help me in helping my friend. She has been being bullied since the beginning of our school year and our school hasn't done anything about it since there have been no witnesses. So please sign my petition to Take Action Against Invisible Bullying.
> 
> http://www.change.org/petitions/kearsarge-regional-school-district-take-action-against-invisible-bullying
> 
> I hope you enjoy the chapter! I love you all so much!

**⇒ Be Sollux.**

You feel so pathetic. Eridan is staring at you wide eyed, bottom lip quivering. He feels guilty. He thinks it's his fault that you're like this. Hiccuping, you cover your face.  
"ED, I-" your breath hitches.  
Eridan grabs your hands and pulls them away from your face, holding them between the both of you.  
"Don't- Don't look at me like that. It'th not your fault," you mumble.  
He looks at you with general confusion written across his face.  
You sob, "ED. I'm... a terrible perthon... the thittietht... I don't... detherve to have... the people I do... in my life."  
Your knees give out and you drag Eridan to the floor with you. He kneels carefully, being mindful of his towel.  
"I... I'm thuch a thcumbag..."  
There's a hand running through your hair and a soft shooshing noise.  
"Sol. Calm dowwn, Sol. I don't understand wwhat you're goin' on about."  
You hold your breath as your phone pings, notifying you that you have a new text. Shakily, you pull it out of your sweatshirt pocket. The screen flashes at you, Aradia, Aradia, Aradia. Deciding she can wait, you put your phone back, taking deep breaths to calm yourself. You drag your knees up to your chest, cross your arms over them, and put your head down.  
"After I left, I went to GZ'th houthe. KK wath there. We talked for a bit," you say slowly between deep breaths, "KK wath upthet and GZ had athked me to come over and talk it out with him... Remember that dream? The one I had a while ago that wath really... weird and terrifying?"  
Eridan hums a response, quietly.  
"Well, that... apparently... wathn't... a dream."  
You hear no response from Eridan, so you look up, your sight blurry from your still watering eyes. Just able to make the outlines of his face, you see his eyes staring at you in shock.  
His voice is small, "Wwhat?"  
"I didn't- I don't- It wathn't-"  
Eridan stands up abruptly.  
"Wwhat the fuck do you mean apparently?" he screeches.  
"I- I- I-"  
"The fuck is wwrong wwith you? Howw could you?"  
You can't answer him. You don't know how. It wasn't you. Well, it was you. But not when it happened. You had felt nothing but terror that night. You remember the night you had the nightmare, you had gone to Eridan's house right after you woke up. He listened as you explained your traumatizing dream. He hugged you for over an hour and told you it was ok, it was just a dream. Then he made you watch Finding Nemo with him. Three times. Until you fell back asleep on his couch.  
The tears pour down your face. Eridan hates you. Aradia hates you. Gamzee wants you dead. Karkat hates you. The entire world hates you. You even hate you. You're a disgrace. You're disgusting. You're worthless, trash, scum, despicable.  
You don't even know what would cause you to act out in such a way. But the fact of the matter is that you did. It did happen. And you can't take it back. No matter how much you wish you could.  
Curling in on yourself, you sob uncontrollably. This isn't like you. Sollux Captor, crying? The fuck is wrong with you? Pull yourself together, you useless fuck!  
"Eridan. it. wathn't. me," you choke, "I. wouldn't... Thomething. happened. to. me."  
"Howw can you say it wwasn't you? You wwere the one who did it, wweren't you?" he rages.  
You're phone buzzes again, but you ignore it.  
"Eridan. pleathe. I can't. explain it."  
There is another vibration in your pocket, but again, you choose to ignore it. Aradia can wait.  
"You can too explain. You just don't want to!"  
Once again, your cell phone goes off. Irritated, you furiously rub at your eyes and pull out the offending object. The screen flashes as you sniffle noisely. misanthropicalDegenerate. misanthropicalDegenerate. misanthropicalDegenerate. Who's this douchebag?

From: misanthropicalDegenerate  
duit cryn like a qamn papy  
ur so bathetic  
jegus  
Sent: Saturday 9:53PM

From: misanthropicalDegenerate  
fuck Cabtr u make me wanna qrob kick a kittn  
get ur ass of the floor n duit pluppern  
i thought uq pe a much more worthy obbonent  
Sent: Saturday 9:53PM

From: misanthropicalDegenerate  
i shoulqa killq u when i haq the chance  
ur so useless  
put watchn u suffr is rly nice  
im enjoyn myself here  
Sent: Saturday 9:54PM

Who the fuck? What is this asshole talking about? His hard to read typing style with the upside down Ds, Bs, Ps, and Qs is really familiar. You've definitely seen it before.  
"Wwhat?" you hear Eridan grumble. "Wwho is it?"  
You glance up at him, then back at your phone.  
"I'm not thure," you breath.  
You flip back to Aradia's conversation log and read her last message.

From: Aradia Megido  
s0llux calm d0wn take a deep breath and think  
Sent: Saturday 9:02PM

She's right. You need to chill out. Flipping back to misanthropicalDegenerate, you reread the messages. Where have you seen this before? How does he know you were crying? Worthy opponent? Should have killed you when he had the chance? Killed you?  
Wait...  
You gasp, "That thon of a bitch."


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoy the chapter (:  
> 3 more weeks of school :D

 

**⇒ Be the Mysterious Douchebag.**

You can’t be the mysterious douchebag. He is too mysterious. And even if you could be him, you would never be that much of a douchebag.

 

**⇒ Be redirected to the Mysterious Douchebag’s counterpart.**

You are now misanthropicalDegenerate. You’re still incapable of being him, but somehow, you are him. The Lord Hussie must want it to be.

 

Sollux Captor. The name irks you. That guy is such a prick. His little mutant blooded friend has caused you a lot of trouble.

Sitting in front of you is a list of all of their friends, from lowest blood to highest blood. It’s scribble in chicken scratch, but somehow you manage to read it.

 

~~Karkat Vantas~~

Aradia Megido

Tavros Nitram

~~Sollux Captor~~

Nepeta Leijon

Kanaya Maryam

Terezi Pyrope 

Vriska Serket

Equius Zahhak

Gamzee Makara

Eridan Ampora 

Feferi Peixes

 

You’ve got a handle on the whereabouts of three of the names on the list. You’ve almost got a fourth, but it’s hard when you’ve lost track of the two important links. The boss has already gotten on your case for losing them, but it’s only a matter of time until you find them again.

With a red pen, you cross off three of the names.

 

~~Karkat Vantas~~

Aradia Megido

~~Tavros Nitram ~~

~~Sollux Captor~~

Nepeta Leijon

Kanaya Maryam

~~Terezi Pyrope~~

Vriska Serket

Equius Zahhak

Gamzee Makara

~~Eridan Ampora~~

Feferi Peixes

 

As you do so, you recall how you received their whereabouts. Pyrope was the first one you found. She’s a close buddy of the notorious Dave Strider, so it wasn’t hard at all. That guy loves to flaunt himself and his group of chums, not to mention they’re always getting themselves into some kind of trouble. Too easy.

Next was Tavros. He was a  little more complicated to find than Terezi, but still easy. You remember that newspaper article about how he had “fallen” down a flight of stairs at his university and his parents were planning on suing. It was big deal in the media. Nobody knows how he ended up falling. Apparently that part was blacked out of his memory. The poor kid can’t use his legs anymore.

And then there was Eridan. He was a fishy guy, always keeping to himself. Sollux would go to his house often, and that’s how you found him. You kept a frequent watch on Sollux to keep tabs on Karkat, and found Eridan by chance through your spying. All pretty easy in your opinion.

 

You swivel in your chair, turning towards a monitor that’s focused in on someone’s bathroom. What? You? A Pervert? No! You just like to have a thorough view of the location of your subjects. You take a look at the screen, noticing Sollux huddled on the floor. What a worthless pansy. That guy really pisses you off. But seeing him in such a helpless position is actually quite enjoyable. Picking up your phone you send him a few quick texts, reminders of the fact you’re still watching. Laughter bubbles in your stomach, so much so that it begins to hurt until you are jolted out of your fit by an ice cold hand wrapping around your neck.

“Hello, brother,” they breathe sinisterly behind you, “What’s so funny?”

You calmly turn to face the pink eyed troll.

“Hey, sis.”

“Did you find the location of the mutant and his friends?”

“I’m workin’ on it. Chill.”

She digs her claws into your neck slightly, “We need the locations as soon as possible, brother. Do I need to remind you what happens to those who do not follow the master’s orders?”

“Bitch, calm yer tits. I got this,” you growl, tossing the list of names behind you for her to see.

Greedily, she snatches the paper, letting go of your throat and humming quietly.

“Good. Good. Now, find the rest of them, you worthless imbecile.”

 

You wait for your sister to exit the room before turning back to your computer. Jamming down a bunch of keys on your keyboard, you begin searching again. In a matter of seconds, you have a record of Sollux’s past text messages, ingoing and outgoing, since three days ago. As you scroll lazily, you notice Trollian flashing at the bottom of your screen. It’s that annoying silver blood.

 

\-- vexatiousBrigand began trolling misanthropicalDegenerate --

**VB:** yo m@n

**VB:** wh@t$ the $t@tu$?

**VB:**! th!nk ! g0t $0me m@j0r t!p$

**VB:**!ll $h0w y0u m!ne !f y0u $h0w me y0ur$

**VB:** #ell0?

**VB:** dude y0u rly need t0 $t0p $p@c!ng 0ut

**VB:** #EY

**MD:** 1st of all ur tybn is annoyn as all fuckn hell

**MD:** 2nd ur a lyn bile o shit

**MD:** 3rd masters gonna have ur heaq for qisturbn me while im workn my ass off

**MD:** gtfo

**VB:** @w dont be like th@t m@n

**VB:** sorry i forgot my quirk c@n overwhelm you sometimes

**VB:** wh@ts the st@tus?

**MD:** status is fuck off im workn

**VB:** come on m@n

**VB:** dont be like th@t

**VB:** i got some info th@t might help you out

**MD:** give it

**VB:** _**imprtntsht.rar**_

**VB:** got it?

**MD:** u iqiot

**MD:** give me the .zib file

**MD:** i qont have time for .rar files

**VB:** _**imprtntsht.zip**_

**VB:** now send me your shit bro

**VB:** i need it

**MD:** cool story pro

**MD:** put thanks for the loot

\-- misanthropicalDegenerate ceased trolling vexatiousBrigand --

 

You get started on opening the newly acquired .zip file. Sadly, this computer is slow as fuck. The file won’t be finished downloading for over an hour. You need to kill some time. What were you even doing before that fucking shiny object stole your attention? Oh that’s right. You were searching Captor’s text logs. Returning to your scrolling, a name catches your eye. You double click the text sent earlier today. It’s from Aradia Megido. A dark smirk spreads across your face as you wield your red pen.

“Gotcha, fucker."

 


	25. Chapter 25

**⇒ Be Gamzee.**  
You take the sleeping Cancer in your arms and carry him into your room, gently placing him on your bed and covering him with your comforter. He immediately turns over, pulling the blanket over his face, sighing softly. Shit, man. He’s motherfucking cute as all hell.  
You pull a chair up next to the bed, smiling to yourself. You’ll probably just sit here until he wakes up. There is nothing else to do, and you never sleep.  
“Good night, Karbro. Get your motherfucking dream on and dream some mirthful dreams, ya hear?” you sigh, playing with a soft spike of his hair that has escaped the cocoon. 

It’s been about four hours since Karkat fell asleep. You’re feeling pretty restless. This chair is motherfucking uncomfortable. Standing up, you make your way to the kitchen. You have an idea.

 **⇒ Switch to Karkat.**  
What is that smell? Whatever the hell it is, it’s smells fucking delicious. Sitting up, you rub your eyes. The soft glow of sunlight is peeking through the drawn curtains of Gamzee’s bedroom window. Wait. Gamzee’s bedroom? You feel your face get hot as you recoil back into your cocoon. The blankets are soft as you bury your face in them, they smell like Gamzee. Frustrated, you scramble out of the cocoon and onto the floor.  
What the fuck is this shit? You find yourself surrounded by mounds of pillows and hills of blankets. It looks like a maze, except there’s no way to go and you’re all boxed in.  
“Gamzee!! What in the name of fuck is this?” you shout, wondering what in the hell the juggalo could be doing.  
You hear laughter as Gamzee enters his bedroom.  
“Mornin’ brother. It’s good to see you back in high spirits,” he smiles at you stupidly.  
“High spirits me ass! What the fuck is this mess?”  
“It’s a fort, motherfucker. They're all sorts of crazy fun.”  
“It just looks like a fucking mess to me. Clean this shit up.”  
Gamzee, still smiling, ignores you, gets down on his knees and starts crawling inside his ‘fort’. Within a matter of minutes, he’s standing before you, tugging your arm.  
“Come on Karkat. Breakfast is waiting,” he says, pushing you onto your knees and through the mess of pillows and blankets.  
You protest all the way to the door, shouting insults and curses at the mentally challenged clown behind you. He ignores you again and pushes you into the kitchen  
The first thing you see is the gigantic stack of pancakes sitting in the midst of the table like a trophy, glowing in its morning glory. The rest of the small circular table is adorned with several different plates filled with bacon, eggs, fruit, and toast. Your stomach growls at the sight and your mouth begins to water. It’s then that you realize you haven’t eaten since yesterday morning before you left yours and Sollux's apartment.  
"Bon appetite motherfucker. Get your fucking munch on. I made it ‘specially for you bro."  
By the time he’s done talking, you’ve already downed two entire pancakes.  
"Woah there. Slow down Karkat. You’re going to make yourself sick," he laughs.  
"I don’t care. It’s fucking delicious and I’m starving," you say around another mouthful of pancake.  
Between the two of you, the pancakes were finished off within about 15 minutes. The rest of the food was eaten about ten minutes after. It was easily the best breakfast you’ve ever had in your life. Your stomach ached, but you regret nothing.  
"Where, in the name of all the few six star restaurants in existence, did you learn how to fucking cook like that?"  
"I’m glad you liked it, Karkles," the clowns smiles at you warmly.  
"Liked it? I fucking loved it."  
"Aw gee. It’s not that great."  
"Oh shut up."  
Gamzee suddenly pulls you into a tight hug. At first you panic, but then his scent wafts up your nose, somehow calming you and causing you to slightly melt. Only slightly, because you, Karkat Vantas, do not fucking get all mushy and melty when people hug you. In fact, you hate hugs. But your arms beg to differ as they reach up and return the hug. Maybe you could get used to this. Maybe it’ll all be ok. Maybe Gamzee isn’t such a shitty moirail after all.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is looooooong overdue.  
> My birthday was last weekend and my friends threw me a surprise party, and the weekend before that was the last day of school and there was SO much going on. Busy busy busy. I had no time to write anything. Next week I'll be at Diabetes Camp, so I doubt I'll be able to write anything... But you can expect an update any time from July 20-22.  
> 

**⇒ Be Gamzee.**  
You feel Karkat’s arms hugging you back. He’s so small, the top of his head barely reaches your chin. You can’t help but notice how adorable he looks. A warm feeling tickles your tummy, causing you to smile.  
“I missed you so motherfucking much, bro. You don’t even know.”  
Karkat’s mouth moves silently against your chest and you can feel the warmth of his breath through your shirt.  
“What?”  
He looks up at you, propping his chin on your chest. A light blush has painted his cheeks.  
“My stomach hurts...” he scowls.  
“Aw, I told you not to eat so fast, Karkat,” you sigh, “Come here.”  
You lead him into the spare bedroom, avoiding the messy pillow fort in your bedroom. Sitting on the bed, you pull him next to you, telling him to lay down.  
“Where exactly is the hurt at, motherfucker?”  
Karkat gives a confused look before cautiously pointing in a circle around his stomach, “Here.”  
You reach your hand over and hike up his shirt. He starts to protest, but is interrupted by your hand gently rubbing up and down his bare belly.  
“This should make the hurt go away.”  
After a short while, Karkat closes his eyes and you can hear a faint rumbling coming from his chest. What is that noise? It’s weird. The noise reminds you of a tiny kitten taking a nap after drinking a lot of milk.Wait... Was he...? No way. That’s just too motherfucking cute. You wouldn’t be able to handle that much adorable. But as the noise grows gradually louder, you realize that yes, Karkat is purring.

 **⇒ Switch to misanthropicalDegenerate.**  
You find yourself knocking on the door of your sister’s room. You can’t stand her, but you need her assistance and it’s the only way to get this job done. If it wasn’t for your boss, you’d do everything yourself.  
“Hey! Sis! Open up, will ya? I ain’t got all damn day!”  
After a minute, she half opens the door, revealing the pink frilly interior of what is undoubtedly the room of a spoiled brat.  
“What is it, you bird brain? You are interrupting my tea party!”  
You roll your eyes. Of course. While you’re off working, she’s off playing. All she ever does is ‘supervise’, which is basically sitting back and watching you do everything. You don’t really mind, since this means she isn’t getting in your way, but it’s also inconvenient when she decides she wants to boss you around.  
“I found one of the chicks. The rust blood.”  
At this, she opens the door fully, ushering you in. After the door is closed once more, she begins badgering you with questions.  
“How’d you find the bitch? Did you find anyone else? Where is she? What’s the plan?”  
"Will you shut up, you fuckin spoiled brat? I already had to deal with Smudge. I don't want to hear your ear splittin voice gratin through my skull."  
She huffs at you, crossing her arms over her chest, "Well somebody has got to ask these questions. Master is gonna wanna know. I've gotta keep your lazy ass in line. That's why I'm the boss. Master trusts me. Unlike you. At least I'm reliable."  
"For fucks sake Mindy," you growl, rubbing your fingers over your temples, "Sit the fuck down and shut the fuck up. Ya ain't the boss of nobody. I'm the one who's gotta get you off your lazy ass."  
Mindy opens her mouth to retaliate but you cut her off.  
"Megido's location has been inserted into the tracker on your cell. I need you to watch her. A week should be good. By the end of the third day, you need to speak with her. I don't care how. Just do it."  
"What's in it for me?"  
"You'll find out. You start tomorrow. Enjoy the last few hours of your freedom while you still can. You'll be following my orders from here on."  
With that you turn on your heel, stuffing your hands in your pockets.  
"You can shove your orders right up your ass, Cale," she hisses before slamming the door.  
You can’t help but smirk and call over your shoulder, “Love ya too, sis!”

You've actually got a bad feeling about sending Mindy on such an important mission. It's not that she can't do it. It's the fact that you don't know what this Aradia girl is capable of. For all you know, you could be sending Mindy to her death.


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like updating early because I won't be home for two weeks, and then the week after those two, I'm going to have guests over for a week. So I doubt I'll have much time to write anything, and if i do, I won't have time to update it.
> 
> And as you can obviously see, Dave won the poll.

**⇒ Be Dave.**  
Well this is a drag. You were supposed to go to Six Flags with Bro today, but he had to work unexpectedly. You don't even know what he does for work. Egbert is busy today, he's going on a date with Vriska. Rose and Jade took an "all-girls-vacation” to Hawaii with Terezi, Nepeta, Kanaya to go visit Feferi. And you’re stuck alone at home. Being bored as fuck. Like a loser. This is not what you thought your summer vacation would be like.  
You sigh as you flop yourself down on your bed and check your phone. Still no messages from anyone. They’re all off having fun without you. As you turn over on your stomach, Cal appears by your bed and sits there staring at you. What a creepy ass motherfucking puppet. You never understood why Bro kept him.  
"Go away, Cal,” you groan into your pillow.  
Of course, he doesn’t go anywhere and just stares at you. Like usual, you just ignore him.  
God, you are so fucking bored! You check your phone again. Wasn’t this the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result?  
“Augh!” you grunt frustratedly as you throw your phone across the room.  
You hear it slam against the wall and then land on the carpet with a soft thud. Annoyed, you sit up to see the damage it did to the wall. There’s a small indent, in the sheetrock, but overall it’s not bad.  
“Dammit,” you mumble as you drag yourself over to your phone.  
As you crouch down to pick it up, the screen lights up and it pings. You pause, hand outstretched. A text? Well... Maybe you should abuse your phone more often. Picking up the device, you read the screen.

**New Message  
Tavros Nitram**

Tavros? That’s unexpected. You barely know the guy. If you weren’t friends with Terezi, you probably wouldn’t even know he existed. For a minute, you wonder how he got your number, but you really don’t care. Terezi probably gave it to him, you wouldn’t be surprised if he knew your address as well. You navigate through the touch menus on your phone until you get to the text.

From: Tavros Nitram  
uH, hEY DAVE,  
Sent: Sunday 10:43AM

To: Tavros Nitram  
yo whats up  
Sent: Sunday 10:43AM

From: Tavros Nitram  
nOTHING REALLY, uM,,, hOW ABOUT YOU,  
Sent: Sunday 10:44AM

To: Tavros Nitram  
bored as shit  
Sent: Sunday 10:44AM

From: Tavros Nitram  
oH, mE TOO,,,  
i, uH, hAVE A QUESTION  
Sent: Sunday 10:46AM

To: Tavros Nitram  
ok shoot  
Sent: Sunday 10:47AM

From: Tavros Nitram  
yOU KNOW HOW TO USE TURNTABLES RIGHT,  
uH, cOULD YOU TEACH ME, mAYBE,  
Sent: Sunday 10:50AM

To: Tavros Nitram  
yeah sure  
come over right now  
Sent: Sunday 10:51AM

This could be interesting. At least it was something to do. Now you won’t be bored. 

After about 15 minutes of having a staring contest with Cal, your apartment buzzer goes off. You make your way over to the intercom system and press talk.  
“Come on in,” you yawn as you press the button that unlocks the door.  
A short while passes as you wait for him to come up the stairs. Cal decides to jump in front of you and laugh loudly, causing you to jump.  
“Fuck!” you shout as you attempt to catch your shades, but they clatter to the floor.  
Just before you can reach down to grab them, the door opens as Tavros timidly enters your apartment. He freezes as he makes eye contact with you. Tavros’s light brown eyes widen and his mouth hangs open slightly as he stares.  
Well fuck. You turn to yell at Cal, but the puppet is gone. Quickly, you snatch up your shades and dust them off before placing them back on your face.  
Turning back to Tavros, you look for something to say, but you’re at a loss. The two of you stand in an awkward silence. You notice that Tavros is blushing deeply.  
“So,” you clear your throat, “are we gonna stand here all day or are we gonna go make some sick fires?”  
This seems to break Tavros out of whatever trance he’s in.  
“Oh, uh, sorry. Yeah.”  
“This way.”  
You lead the way into your room and sit yourself on the edge of your bed while Tavros makes himself comfortable in your computer chair. He fidgets nervously. It’s actually pretty cute. Wait... Cute? Where the fuck did that come from?  
“Do you have a set of tables yourself?” you break the silence.  
“No, I don’t,” he admits, looking ashamed.  
“Alright. That’s cool. Do you know anything about how to use them?”  
“Uh... A little bit.”  
You sigh, “Then do you want to start from the basics?”  
“That’d be fine,” he perks up.  
You walk over to your tables, motioning for him to follow you. Thinking about how Bro taught you how to play, you remember a couple things. First, you go through the basics of what everything is called, like the platter, power button, needle, tone-arm, and all that. He catches on pretty quick, it took all of about 15 minutes. After that, you show him a couple tricks Bro taught you.  
“Alright, now you try.”  
Tavros timidly puts his hands on the records and begins mixing up an alright beat.  
“That’s pretty good for a beginner, but try doing something more like this.”  
Without thinking much about it you put your hands on top of his and guide him into a better beat. When you look up at him through your glasses, you notice he’s blushing again. And then you realize why. The way your hands are on top of his, you are practically holding hands. Smoothly, you retract your hands and shove them in your pockets.  
You realize he hasn’t made eye contact with you since he entered your apartment. It makes you feel a little uncomfortable, apparently it makes him feel the same way.  
“Hey.”  
“Uh, what?” he stops messing with the turntable and looks at his feet.  
He still won’t look at you. Taking your shades off, you close your eyes.  
“Did it really scare you that bad?”  
“Did what-”  
You open your eyes and see Tavros making eye contact with you.  
“This. Did this scare you?”  
He blushes again, “I, uh, no, um, you-”  
What’s that sound? Oh. That’s you. You’re chuckling.  
“W-what’s so funny?” Tavros demands.  
“No, no. It’s just, that was really cute.”  
Wait. You did NOT just say that. What. The. Fuck. Why would you say that? That’s so embarrassing. You want to look away, but your eyes are locked onto his. He’s staring at you, looking confused. Once again, this got awkward really fast.


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will be the last chapter that I update for awhile. I have Diabetes Camp starting tomorrow until Friday (I have Juvenile Diabetes), and then from there I am staying at a friends (they are twins) house for a week. The week after that, the same friends will be coming up to New Hampshire to visit me for a week. So I don't think I will be getting any writing done until after they leave. Hopefully this chapter will suffice.  
> I wrote this at 3 in the morning.
> 
> Thank you to Kumi for such an awesome conversation and ideas for some GamKar cuteness.
> 
> If you guys ever have any ideas that you want me to put in the story, please don't hesitate to message me. I love talking to you guys.
> 
> I'll see you in three weeks. ;u; That's such a looong time.

**⇒ Be Karkat.**  
You guess you must have fallen asleep. Gamzee is still gently rubbing your stomach. You put your hand on top of his, moving it off you, and you roll on your side to face him.  
"Feelin all better, motherfucker?"  
"Yeah."  
Gamzee smiles at you, but it fades quickly and is replaced by a look of concern.  
"Hey. Karkat," he speaks quietly.  
You position yourself on the edge of the bed and stretch.  
"What?" you yawn.  
Gamzee stays quiet for a moment, looking at his hands.  
"Whatever it is, spit it the fuck out Gamzee," you growl impatiently.  
He looks up at your face before continuing in a low voice, "So... You're not mad?"  
He has the most pathetic look on his face. It's a mix of puppy dog eyes, despair, and hopelessness.  
"What the fuck are you talking about?"  
"Before you went away... When I... got arrested. And then put in the hospital..."  
"Oh."  
That was all you could say. Oh.  
You remember it now. Four years ago. Gamzee had been out at a club playing some music. After his gig, some guy came up to him spewing crap. You never knew what the guy actually said, but whatever it was, it had made Gamzee go completely apeshit.  
The guy ended up in the hospital in critical condition. A gouged out eye. Countless broken bones. The skin on his face was peeled down, but not off. Chunks of his flesh were missing, and you are talking about big, big chunks. And organ damage on top of it all.  
You were surprised he even made it.  
Gamzee was lucky. His sentence was a year in a psych ward and eighteen months of anger management. Typically someone would get twenty years in prison for that kind of stunt.  
He had cried to you, saying that he didn't do it. It wasn't him. It was him, but it wasn't actually him. He had seen himself do it from his point of view, but he had no control of anything that was going on.  
You remember being terrified of him. It took you a long time to get comfortable with him again. But even now, you are still a bit on edge. You never know when he might crack. And then you had left. Just before he was going to get released, you had decided to leave. That was when those guys had found out about your blood color. Even though trolls and humans lived on the same planet, mutant bloods were still outcast, even by humans.  
Despite that, you weren’t mad. How could you be? He was still your moirail.

"Uh. No. I'm not mad."  
Gamzee sighs, relieved, "Aw man. And to think that I thought you were all sorts of upset about it still... I mean, everyone else is still keeping the motherfucking distance..."  
His eyes get hazy, as if he were spacing out and thinking about something unpleasant.  
"Well they're all assholes anyways. You don't need them. You've got me," you say before you realize what you're saying.  
Gamzee tackles you, laying on top of you.  
"I missed you so motherfucking much. You have no motherfucking clue," he sniffles.  
“I missed you too.”  
You stay like that for gog knows how long. But it seemed like forever.

Alright. This was really uncomfortable for you. He's touching you. The thought makes you blush deeply and your mind starts racing.  
"Gamzee."  
That feeling is coming back to you. That feeling when you're about to remember. And it's coming on fast.  
"G-gamzee let go!" you squirm, trying to get him off.  
He doesn't budge, making the feeling worse.  
"No. We are having a motherfucking moment," he smiles into your shoulder.  
"I'm serious," your breath speeds up as you feel yourself beginning to panic, "Get the fuck off me!"  
You can feel your eyes start to tear up, but you hold it back as hard as you can.  
"FUCK! No. No. No. Please. No."  
"Karkat?" Gamzee sits up just enough to look at your face.  
That’s the last thing you see before the flashbacks hit you hard. You try to block them out by slamming your eyes closed, but it doesn’t make a difference.  
You are aware of the sound of yourself screaming. Your body is hot. Too hot. It's unbearable. It hurts. Everywhere hurts.  
There is only one thought going through your mind.  
Help me. Gamzee, help.  
Over and over, it replays.  
Help me. Gamzee, help.

You don't know what you're grabbing, but whatever is in front of you, you are digging your nails into it and clinging to it like Pam on a baking sheet.  
You can feel tears streaming down your cheeks and something warm caressing the side of your face.  
Your mouth is dry and your throat is sore. Your chest is heaving, and your eyes burn. Your body is no longer hot, but it’s sweaty. Your muscles feel as though you are getting stabbed repeatedly. And in certain places on your body, there is a throbbing pain.  
You slowly open your eyes to see Gamzee right in your face. He looks worried, almost timid. His hand is on your face and his thumb is rubbing small circles on your cheek..  
"Gamzee," you whimper before the flood gates open and you are full fledged sobbing.  
"Shoooosh. I'm right here, bro," He soothes.  
You realize your arms are around him and your nails are digging into his back. Hugging him tighter, you hide your face in his chest.  
You find yourself repeating into his shirt, "Help me."


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm back~!  
> Have some EriSol.  
> I've left them hanging long enough.

**⇒ Be Eridan.**

"Wwhat? Wwhat is it?"  
You watch as Sollux stares at his phone in absolute horror.  
"I... can explain it... now..." he mumbles.  
"Fuckin' tell me!"  
You're losing your patience. Sollux looks up at you, still in his weird daze.  
"I know... What happened..."  
Tears drip down his face once more, but he's got a small smile on his face.  
"For fucks sake, wwhat the fuck is goin’ on?" you huff impatiently.  
"It wathn't me," he chokes, "ED, it wathn't me!"  
You glare at him, waiting for him to elaborate.  
"And here I wath, thinking that I actually did thomething, like rape my betht friend! But..."  
The smile falls from his face. Alright, you’ve seen enough. You kneel in front of him and put your hands on his shoulders.  
Shaking him back and forth you shout, "Wwhat the fuck are you goin’ on about? I don't understand a single thing you're sayin’!"  
He laughs through his tears and hugs you tightly, "The textth! I remember what happened! Eridan, I didn't do it!"  
What? Does he think you’re stupid or something?  
"Wwhat do you mean you didn't do it?"  
None of this is making any fucking sense to you. Sollux lets go of you and shoves his phone in your face.  
"It wath thith douchebag! Remember that viruth that the one guy leaked into my computer? The one that filled my room with what I thought wath carbon monoxide?"  
"Yeah. That was pretty strange..."  
"The guy that sent me that viruth. He wanth't trying to kill me. He poithoned me. He wathn't after me at all. He mutht have been after Karkat all along."  
"So... you mean to tell me that everythin’ you dreamed about was fuckin' real, but you had no control over it. And it was all just some douchebag goin’ after Kar?"  
He looks at you curiously.  
"Yeth, that'th exactly what happened."  
You can't believe you actually accept that load of crap. But for some reason, you feel like Sollux is telling the truth. And you are willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.  
"Alright... When do I get to kick this bastard’s ass?"  
He gives you a confused look, waiting for you to continue.  
“I want to kick his ass!” you dramatically crack your knuckles.  
“Um... why?”  
Why? What kind of question is that? Why? There’s probably a hundred reasons why you would want to rip that guy to shreds. But one reason gnaws at you like frostbite during winter. You can’t stop your bottom lip from quivering as your eyes start to water.  
“Because he stole your vvirginity!”  
There’s an awkward silence as he stares at you, wide-eyed.  
“Uh...” he blushes, “ED, it’th not that big of a deal...”  
“No! It is a HUGE deal! I wwas supposed to be the one to do that! And then you could take mine at the same time! It’s not fair!”  
Sollux was speechless.  
“Your virginity is like a unicorn! And he caused it to go extinct!”  
“ED. Chill out. It’th not like I can never have that thort of relationthhip with thomeone. He didn’t cut my dick off. Jeguth.”  
Oh. Well that’s one way to think about it... But still. It’s not fair!  
He hugs his knees and continues, “The only thing he did... wath make me feel dithguthtingly dirty...”  
“I can fix that,” is your immediate response.  
Shit. That was a stupid thing to say. You really need to put some clothes on. It’s hard to keep it in your pants when you aren’t wearing any...  
Sollux mumbles something, the blush on his face growing deeper.  
“What was that, Sol?”  
He clears his throat, “I thaid, how would you do that?”  
“Well... where do you feel dirty?”  
Gently, you place your hand on his cheek and brush his lips with your thumb, “Here?”  
Sollux nods slightly, his lips parting the tiniest bit. Taking initiative, you lean in and kiss him, slowly inching your tongue into his mouth. You’re almost surprised when he kisses back, full force, wrapping his arms around your neck.  
Gog. You’ve been waiting for this for so long. And now that it’s finally happening, you can barely contain yourself. It feels so right. His lips are soft and warm, and he tastes like honey. You are completely drowned in the sensation. In this moment you realize, he is the one. Sollux is your one and only soul mate. He is your other half. And you would be completely lost without him.


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me what new ship you'd like to see (: Vote here:  
> http://www.learnmyself.com/personality.asp?p=take-poll&qp=267x0eA08514-1

**⇒ Be Tavros.**  
Uh... Are you sure you want to be Tavros? Wouldn’t you rather be Dave? He’s much more confident. No? Alright then... If you say so.

Dave is staring you down with an unreadable expression. It’s making you extremely nervous. His eyes are shockingly bright red. It’s not normal for humans to have such a iris color. For a troll, it’s normal for your irises to change color once you are about eight or nine sweeps old, which is almost 18 in human years.  
“So...” Dave awkwardly clears his throat, “Now that we’ve got the basics, we should take a break. I’m starving.”  
“Ok. That sounds good,” you agree.  
You follow Dave into the kitchen. He heads straight for the fridge, grabbing 2 containers of apple juice from the bottom shelf.  
“Can you catch?”  
You nod and hold your hands out as he tosses the bottle in your direction. The bottle is cold as you fumble it slightly, but successfully catch it. Dave cracks open his juice, taking a large swig. Swallowing with a satisfactory sigh, he rummages through the cupboards, looking for a suitable snack. You sip your apple juice while you wait for him to find whatever it is he’s looking for.  
“Yes!” he cheers as he hugs a bag of Doritos to his chest.  
Dave suddenly points at you, then points to his bedroom, and walks off in that direction. You follow him, apple juice in hand.  
“Alright. Back to work,” he announces.  
“That was a quick break...”  
“Beauty is pain. But if you want to be the Mac Daddy of sick fires, wubs, eargasms, and dubs, you gotta deal. I will make you the prom queen of the Turntech Godhead University.”  
“Uh... ok...” you’re not sure how to take that, but nonetheless, you stand at Dave’s turntables once again.

Four hours, a bag of Doritos, and five bottles of apple juice later, Dave’s got you mixing up your own music at an advanced level. You’re pretty stoked.  
“Awesome,” Dave compliments as you finish another set.  
“You really think so?”  
“Yeah man. That was really good,” he gives you a thumbs up.  
“Thanks,” you flash a smile.  
Dave suddenly whips his head towards the door, staring at it for a moment before it bursts open. You jump, but nobody seems to notice. A tall, older boy with spiky, blonde hair, wearing a white shirt, black pants, anime shades, and a black baseball cap swaggers into the room.  
“Yo. Sorry I’m late lil’ bro. Did you eat?”  
The older boy’s eyes catch you sitting by Dave’s turntables and sly grin crosses his face.  
“Oh, you’ve got a friend over. I’ll just-”  
“No,” Dave growls.  
“Woah man. I didn’t even get to finish my sentence. Roo,” the boy waggles his finger sassily.  
“Bro, don’t even. That’s not even ironic. It’s just gay,” Dave facepalms.  
Bro shrugs, “And you would know too. It takes one to know one, dude.”  
The two of them stare each other down until you clear your throat.  
“I, uh... guess I should be getting home.”  
“Nonsense! Spend the night. I insist!” Bro stops you before you can stand.  
“Oh... ok... I guess.”  
Dave is still silent as you sneak a glance over in his direction, checking to see if he approves of this plan. He looks sort of angry and nervous.  
“Have fun, but not too much fun,” Bro winks before closing the door behind him.  
After the door is shut, a soft click seems to echo throughout the room. It’s silent for a moment. the sound of the click still prominent in your mind. For some reason, that click gave you a bad feeling.  
“Fuck.”  
“What?” you’re confused by Dave’s reaction.  
He ignores you, walking over to the door. Timidly, he reaches for the handle, pausing momentarily before turning it.  
“Son of a... That bastard locked the door.”  
Your heart pounds against your chest. What? What did he just say? You’re locked inside his room? Wait... How does that even work? Bedroom doors don’t lock from the outside...  
“Wha- But how-? And why-?”  
You can feel yourself beginning to panic. Oh god. What if Dave’s bro forgets to unlock the door? What if you’re stuck in this room with Dave for days? What will you eat? Nobody knows you’re at Dave’s. They wouldn’t know where to look for you. Your head is spinning. It’s making you feel sick.  
“Tav?” Dave is standing in front of you, waving a hand in your face.  
You can’t focus. The room is spinning. It’s going dark. You’re going to... pass... out...


	31. Chapter 31

⇒ Be Karkat.  
Ugh. What the fuck happened? Your head is pounding and your eyes are heavy as you try to open them.  
The room is dark. A pale sliver of moonlight creeps through the window, leaving it’s mark on the wooden floor of the bedroom. It’s cold, as though a window was left open, causing you to shiver. Begrudgingly, you crawl out from under the warm blankets, stretching as your feet touch the floor. You trudge to the window, hugging yourself to keep warm, and check to make sure it’s closed.  
There’s a tired groan behind you. Turning around, you find Gamzee sitting up, rubbing his eyes with his shirt sleeve. His hair is sticking out in all sorts of ways  
“Karkat?” he mumbles.  
"Yeah?" You whisper, sitting back down on the bed.  
He's looking at you with groggy eyes that glow a fluorescent green in the moonlight.  
"Too cold?"  
"No. I got it."  
Gamzee fiddles silently. It's obvious something is bothering him, but he looks like he's having trouble getting it out.  
"Sorry."  
You blink.  
Did he just...?  
"For what?" you sigh tiredly, pulling the covers back up to your chin.  
"For before. Ya know? When you lost it."  
"Oh."  
That's right. You remember now.  
"Shut up and go to sleep, idiot," you growl, turning on your side and pulling the blanket over your head.

 

When you wake up, Gamzee is gone. You were worried at first, until you found his lazily scrawled out note lying on the nightstand beside you.

KaRbRo  
WeNt To TaV's. Be HoMe LaTeR.  
gAmZeE

What the hell. He just left you here. You don't even want to think about why he'd go to Tavros' house. It pisses you off when he ditches you for Tavros. Even though they're great friends, it just bothers you to no end. Whatever. There’s nothing you can do about it.  
Now that you're alone, you have some time to think about a few things. The big item on your grocery list of things to think about is what to do with Sollux. The name gives you an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of your stomach. And so does the thought of your apartment. This just makes your decision much easier. You're going to sell your apartment. Sollux can find somewhere else to live. Kankri might be a little triggered by the idea of you selling his gift to you, but you can deal with him later. It's probably about time you got a job and started paying for things yourself.  
Picking up your phone, you send a text to Sollux, hoping that he gets it, but doesn't answer.

To: Sollux Captor  
I’M MOVING OUT OF THE APARTMENT AND I’M SELLING IT.   
SO GET YOUR SHIT AND GET OUT.  
Sent: Sunday 8:43AM

You really don’t think you could deal with him right now if he answers. You stare at your phone anxiously for a few minutes before shoving the device under your pillow and getting out of bed. Stretching your arms above your head, you sigh.  
There's nothing to really do. It's not like you have a job to go to. Kankri insists on paying for everything. He spoils you, and you kind of take advantage of that. But it's not like you're the only one. Gamzee has the same kind if thing going on with his father. And so do Eridan, Feferi, Vriska, and Equius. The only difference is that they are highbloods and you aren't.  
It's normal in troll society for highbloods to be spoiled.

Already bored, you make your way into the living room. You’re tempted to watch tv, but you've got the feeling that Gamzee doesn't have cable.  
The longer you look around, the more you realize how much of a pig sty the house is. It makes your skin crawl. How can he live like this? Ugh.  
Before long, you find yourself cleaning, starting with the kitchen. Luckily, Gamzee had cleaning supplies and you didn’t have to go out and get some. You plug in the vacuum and go over the floor with slow and precise movements, making sure you get every nook and cranny, and continue the same routine throughout the living room, bathroom, and two bedrooms. After an hour of cleaning, the kitchen is sparkling. No more dishes in the sink. No more expired food sitting in the fridge or cabinets. Kankri would be proud.  
It takes you about another 3 hours to finish the rest of the house. You even took the liberty of organizing Gamzee’s things, like sorting his small stash of movies, and folding his clothes. Looking around, you wipe a hand across your forehead. Phew. Now you can rest for awhile. Throwing yourself down on the couch, you throw your arm over your eyes and quickly fall asleep.

You awaken to the sound of your cellphone ringing obnoxiously. Who the fuck could that be? Oh. It's Kankri.  
"Hello?" You answer it.  
"Karkat, why did you wait until the last minute to pick up the phone? I was beginning to think something may have happened to you. Where have you been? Have you been taking care of yourself? You know these things trigger me. You need to check in with me more often. I think-"  
"Slow down! Jegus! Shove a grub down your protein chute and shut up for a second. I can't even get a word in!"  
"Now, Karkat, that is no way to speak to an elder. What have I-"  
"I'm fine. I'm at Gamzee's. I was sleeping. What do you want?"  
"Oh. That's good to hear. I'm glad you're alright. I didn't really want anything in particular. I just had this odd sensation that you might be in a bit of trouble. It had me terribly worried, so I wanted to check up on you."  
"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine, I'm fine. Thanks for checking in..."

After about two hours of listening to Kankri blather on about things you don't care about, he finally said goodbye and you were free. But now what were you supposed to do? Gamzee still wasn't home and it was almost 6 o' clock. You check your phone, just in case. Well what do you know? You have a text.

From: Sollux Captor  
funny ii wa2 goiing to 2ay the 2ame thiing  
Sent: Sunday 4:14PM

You're not in the mood to answer him, so you just shove your phone into your pocket. Maybe you should head over the apartment and grab your stuff? But you might need some help... it might be a better idea to wait for Gamzee to get home. You haven't been online in quite a while, so you figure it might be time to log on. Gamzee's computer is sitting on a desk in the corner of his bedroom. There's a swivel chair by the desk that you throw yourself into and spin around childishly. The computer isn't passworded, typical Gamzee. You log straight into trollian, but nobody is online. That's probably a good thing. You notice a familiar icon in the dock on the bottom. A little green and purple, 3D cube. Clicking on it, you smile a little. The application opens up and a game appears on the screen. Grubcraft. One of your personal favorites.  
You doubleclick the Sgrub server and wait for it to load. The terrible 3D graphics bring a smile to your face. There's nothing better to kill time than your favorite videogame. But you still hope Gamzee comes home soon.


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! An update! :D Hope you guys like it! Next update will be from either Eridan, Tavros, or a new character's perspective. (:

⇒ Be Gamzee.  
You're a little nervous leaving Karkat home alone, but you know he can manage. Besides, you're only going to be gone for a few hours. Tavbro was waiting for you. You quickly scribble out a note and leave it on the table before heading out, just so Karkat doesn't worry his thinkpan.  
As you head in the direction of Tavros' house you can't help but all up and wonder what your bro needs. It was kinda weird that he wanted to hang out all of a sudden. It'd probably been a good four months since you talked to him last. And it wasn't a real nice talk either. You had gotten into a fight over your feelings for him...

_"Uh, I'm sorry Gamzee. I just don't feel that way about you..." the Taurus twiddled his thumbs, blushing out of embarrassment and refusing to make eye contact.  
You felt crushed. You had been almost positive that Tavros had feelings for you. He took all your flirts and even reciprocated them. You didn't understand.  
"We've been friends for so long... I, uh, don't really think we would work out as anything else... I'm not into drugs like you are... and, uh, I'm not sure I'm ready for a relationship. Besides, I'm a lot younger than you... it's, um, kind of intimidating..."  
You were speechless. You felt stupid. And most of all, you felt played.  
"Then why'd you motherfuckin' reciprocate my wicked flirtations and smooth moves, bro? That's not all up and fair. You lead me on!" You argued, pointing an accusing finger, "Did it mean nothing to you when we got our cuddle on and played around?"  
Tavros' face flushed brown-orange as you stared him down with hurt filled eyes.  
"I... uh, Gamzee... I didn't know... I thought you were just being you... I thought you, um, were just a really touchy person..."  
Your heart was splintering into a billion pieces. The last thing you heard was Tavros saying, "Gamzee, wait!" before you stomped off in frustration and rejection._

The memories make your heart twinge a little, but you've had four months to get over it. You realized maybe Tavros was more of a person you just wanted to protect and keep safe than to get into a romantic situation with. You didn't really understand it, but you knew that your crush for Tavros had faded.  
You finally reach the door to his house and pause before stretching your hand out to ring the bell. This could either go really horrible, or really well. And you’re hoping for the latter. An excited Tavros opens the door, staring up at you with glittering eyes.  
“Gamzee!” he almost squeals with a grin almost as wide as his horn-span.  
“Hey, Tavbro!”  
Tavros takes a step backwards, motioning for you to come inside. You can’t remember the last time you entered his house. Following him up the stairs to his room, you can’t help but wonder what possessed him to invite you over.  
“So, uh...” Tavros mumbles, flopping into his swivel chair and looking at the floor.  
His room is exactly as you remembered it. Light cream colored walls that reminded you of a warm latte, orange bed covers, light tan, fuzzy rug. You make yourself comfortable on the edge of his bed and quietly wait for him to continue. But he doesn’t seem like he’s going to any time soon. Tavros was spaced out at the floor, cheeks flushed, brow furrowed.  
“Yo,” you snap him out of his trance, “What’s up?”  
He jumps slightly, turning his gaze to you.  
“Oh, um... well, I kinda missed you and, uh... I figured we should hang out and talk. Ya know?”  
“Yeah, that’s cool, bro.What’d ya have in mind?”  
“Well, I got a new video game, I figured we could play it,” Tavros smiles, getting out of his chair and turning on his gaming system.  
“Here,” he hands you a paddle.

After about two hours of playing Super Smash Bros. your stomach starts to growl.  
“Yo, Tav. Got any munchies up in this place?”  
“Yeah, I totally forgot.”  
The two of you head into the kitchen on a quest for snacks. And your quest is very successful. You return to Tavros’s room giggle like little girls, a wide assortment of snacks in hand. From popcorn and cookies to gushers and Faygo, you lay your spoils out on his desk like a buffet. Immediately, you dive into the bag of Tostitos and the jar of salsa. Tavros nibbles on some gushers, a thoughtful expression on his face. You were so into your chips and salsa that you didn’t notice Tavros slowly inching towards you. Suddenly, his nose bumps into yours.  
“Um... hey there bro?” you stare at him questioningly, unable to guess what he’s thinking.  
He tips his head to the side, and quickly closes the small distance between the two of you. Your eyes widen in shock as his arms move around your neck as he kisses you.  
What? This doesn’t make sense. Why? Why now? What is he doing?  
Placing one hand on his chest, you push him back slightly.  
“Tavros... What are you doing?”


	33. Chapter 33

==> Be Gamzee.  
"Woah there, brother," you exclaim, pushing him back, "what's with this all of the sudden?"  
Tavros looked taken aback and his face bloomed with embarrassment. He fumbled backwards away from you, stuttering.  
"Uh, oh, um, w-well, you see, I, oh dear..." he stumbled with a sigh.  
The Taurus looked down at the floor, picking at the thick carpeting. The air was so thick, you could almost feel it weighing down your lungs as you breathed in the awkward tension.  
"I just... thought maybe I could..." he cleared his throat, "I'm just really confused... things happened... it reminded me of you. And I thought maybe there was a reason I was reminded of you. Like, maybe I was wrong to turn you down like I did."  
Tavros' voice cracked here and there as he talked slightly faster with every passing second. You let him ramble on for a minute as you space out. This whole situation has given you a strange feeling in your gut.  
"And I thought maybe if I kissed you, I could find out if you were 'the one'..." you heard him finish.  
You couldn't help but chuckle. What a funny idea. You've never really been one to believe in soulmates or any of that stuff about love. To you it was just, when you like someone, you like them. No big deal. But for some reason you were curious.  
"And what'd the kiss tell you, bro?"  
Tavros looked up at you with a mixture of relief, worry, and maybe a hint of disappointment.  
"Am I 'the one'?" you grin, air-quoting the last two words.  
"No. You aren't... but I don't know what to do now. Because I think I know who 'the one' really is..." He trailed off.  
You couldn't help but ask who it was as you leaned forward a bit in anticipation. For some reason, you were really relieved he said no. And for some reason thoughts of a certain someone kept creeping into your mind. A certain someone with a short temper and a height to match.  
"Dave. Dave Strider," Tavros announced with a sort of a confidence you never knew he could achieve, but it was very short lived, "But... I don't know how he feels about me..."  
"Aw thats easy bro," you put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, " You just gotta ask him. Tell him your feelings. And ask him if he feels the same."  
You couldn't help but feel sort of annoyed. There's always been something about Dave that you always hated. You just couldn't stand the guy.  
"I’m really happy for you Tavbro."  
"R-really?" Tavros fidgeted, "I’m happy too..." A smile crept its way onto his face as he spoke, but it was quickly replaced with a frown, "Uh.. Gamzee... I’m sorry... For what happened back then."  
"Aw man, no worries. It's all in the past," you smiled.  
You jump as your phone rings.

From: Karkat Vantas  
WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU  
Sent: Sunday 7:28PM

"Shit. It's late. I gotta go. If you need me, just message me. Got it?"  
Tavros nods happily, "Bye Gamzee. Thanks."  
As you step out into the cool night air, you pull your hoodie up over your head to keep your face warm. You can’t wait to get home.


	34. Chapter 34

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry I haven't been updating. I've gotten so behind with college and everything. I've also sort of lost interest in this story. I plan on stopping here. But, I promise you, this is not the end. I am going to be rewriting this story. So please keep a look out for the new story. I will make a new chapter on this story once the new one is out.  
> Thank you all for being so amazing and sticking with me. Don't give up hope, the rewrite will be much better.

A re-write of Moirails, Cats, and Sopor Slime will be coming soon. I apologize for the long wait, but I promise it will be worth it.


End file.
